Destiny
by Showjumperstar
Summary: Speed and Michelle are dropped into an alternate future where things didn't end happily ever after after the Change. It's up to them to balance this new timeline, as things could happen in their own timeline. Rated T for character death, violence, and language.
1. Chapter 1

The ranch was bustling with activity. Horses were playing around their pastures, enjoying the late Spring day. Some horses were getting baths, some were being ridden, and some munched on loose hay that may have been snuck over to them by me.

"There, all the hay's gone," I said, hopping down from Speed's bed with a broom in hand. I looked up at the fresh stack of bales in the hay barn and took a deep breath of the fragrant scent. Piles of loose hay littered the ground next to Speed and the flatbed trailer he was towing.

"What's the rest of the afternoon like?" Speed asked.

"Horses have the day off, hay's been moved...let's get the trailer parked and then I guess you're free to do whatever. I have paperwork to do, which is not nearly as exciting as that sounds." We drove over to the trailer area.

"Probably more exciting than you think," Speed said with a chuckle.

"Oh yeah, contracts…so fun!" I said trying to sound enthusiastic while rolling my eyes. I unhooked the trailer and gave Speed a nod that he was clear. He pulled forward for a second before stopping and waiting for me. I finished making sure the cables from the trailer were covered.

"Hey…Michelle?" Speed asked, the tone of his voice worrying.

"What's up?"

"I'm feeling woozy…" As he said that, I turned to see horses in one of the back pastures gallop around in a panic. The earthquake was one of the strongest ever. The wave hit and knocked me on my knees. It kept rocking the land and a roaring sound grew louder and louder.

"Michelle!" Speed called, trying to turn around. The land pitched and buckles and he bounced a couple of times on his tires.

"I'm fine!" I said through gritted teeth. A _bang_ echoed through the valley and a bright light saturated my vision. I suddenly felt like I was falling. I could hear Speed screaming my name over me screaming his name.

OOOOOOOO

**Speed's POV**

I shut my eyes, hoping the sick feeling I had would go away and that everything would be okay…but I was dead wrong. I couldn't tell where the light came from, but it left me blind. Suddenly, the ground gave way and I was falling. I could see Michelle floating next to me.

A second later, I hit solid ground, my shock absorbers groaning from the fall. I didn't pay attention to the new scenery; I just wanted to find Michelle. She must have rolled when she landed because her still form was farther away from me than I thought.

"M…Michelle?" I said, rolling up to her.

OOOOOOOO

**Michelle's POV**

I don't recall blacking out, but I don't recall lying on the ground either. I felt something nudge my back and with a groan I rolled over to see Speed staring over me. It was dark and cloudy.

"W…what the hell happened?" I asked sitting up. I must have hit my head because I was instantly dizzy. I moved to put a hand on my head when I noticed ash covering it.

"I don't know…but…I think paperwork would have been a better option," Speed replied softly, offering his tire to pull myself onto my feet. I leaned against him while I let my vision stop spinning. As it focused, I noticed everything was dark…no lights were on anywhere.

"Are you okay?" I asked him. I heard a 'yeah' as I continued to gather my surroundings. The air was thick and putrid. It smelled of old fire. I turned to see if I could see anything familiar.

"Michelle…" Speed said catching my attention. I looked at where he was looking.

I saw our house…destroyed.

The once white building was charred and all that was left were things like toilets and the kitchen appliances. The whole lot was blackened except for some greenery growing wild where the yards would be. My pool was filled with sludge and dirt…and something off-white that I was afraid of looking at. My stomach churned and my body started trembling as I scanned the skeleton of Gold Star Ranch. The barn was still standing, but it was blackened as well, and I could see splashes of color from graffiti. The arenas were gone, fencing was knocked over and the building had collapsed from probably fire. There were no horses anywhere, and yet there were scorched trailers still parked where they normally would be. I fought back the urge to puke.

"An earthquake couldn't have caused _this_!" I said, almost shouting in a panicked voice. I was shaking bad and ended up sitting down against Speed's side. He too was trembling.

"This isn't right…none of this can be happening…" I stated putting my head against my knees. I felt sick…I felt overwhelmed with anger and sadness…

"Maybe this is a dream?" Speed suggested. I stood again; the wave of nausea was replaced with anger.

"If this is a dream, then why do I feel like I've been run over? I should have wakened by now if this was a bloody dream!" Speed nudged me lightly as I sobbed into my dirty hands.

"Maybe we should look around. You know, to see if we can find any clues as to what happened?" he suggested. I sniffed and took a deep breath of the noxious fumes.

"Try to see if you can find out anything from the radio," I told him. I wanted answers…

We worked our way over to the barn. Speed flicked on his headlights and illuminated the breezeway. I took slow, shaky steps down the aisle, taking in every detail of the barn. The only thing left of the loft where the lounge was were the metal supports that held the barn up. I poked my head into the tack room, hoping that there was some ounce of hope left. Piles of ash under where the saddles sat discouraged me. I walked back out to the breezeway and hesitated to look over a stall door.

No amount of imagination prepared me for what I saw inside the stall. I quickly pushed myself away from the wall with a startled scream. I stopped when the wall stopped me.

"What's going on?" Speed called from the other end of the barn.

"You don't wanna know…" I managed to say. I could hear a squeaking sound from another breezeway. I stepped over to the crossway.

"I'm gonna keep searching in here. I can see okay enough if you want to see if you can find anything. Wanna meet back in five?"

"Be careful…" Speed replied, starting his engine. He drove off toward the back of the property where some of our out buildings were still standing. I continued through the ruins of the barn. The squeaking turned into something metallic groaning.

"H-hello?" Fear filled every ounce of my body, as the producer of the sound was nowhere to be seen.

"Hello?" I tried again. Something…or someone…had to be living in here. I entered the last breezeway, the last of the light pouring in around me and from a hole in the roof. I saw a dark shadow at the end of the aisle and heard raspy, shallow breathing from that direction.

"M…elle…" whispered whatever was in front of me. I was afraid to go around it and open the probably broken door to let in more light. I suddenly felt brilliant and pulled out my cell phone. The screen was cracked, but it was still on. The signal was roaming. _Dang it!_ But I was able to get the flashlight app to turn on. I scanned from the floor up, and each inch the light covered, the more scared I was to find out who was in front of me. There were drag marks in the cement made of rust and ash, then there was a rusty bumper with a license plate just under the mouth. The faint light from my flashlight caught glimpses of fading white paint mixed with the rust. I gasped slightly as I looked straight into the eyes of the Machine.

Speed…


	2. Chapter 2

I bit back a sob. This Speed's eyes were barely open. He was covered in rust, his tires were flat…he must have been in pain. I felt a tear escape.

"This isn't real…" I managed to say, my voice trembling.

"r…eal…" This Speed said, his voice weak and barely audible. I directed the phone's light to him again and noticed a piece of paper stuck to his grill. I pulled it away from the rust and brushed off the soot. _Michelle _was scrawled on it.

"For me?" I looked up at Speed. I didn't wait for an answer and unfolded the partially moldy paper. My hands shook and another tear fell.

_Michelle, when you read this, I will be dead in this world. Machines have taken over, and according to the curse that has been cast on Speed, by the time you read this, it would have been three years since the Change happened. Speed was supposed to tell you what I'm about to, but he may be only barely alive when you see him. Humans- most of the ones who are left- are slaves to the Machines. Keep that in mind, but know that trick would only work for a little while. Follow the creek bed to the hills in the west…I can't tell you how to get where you need to go from there, but you'll know. Please do me a favor…let Speed go…he doesn't need to suffer any more. Good luck!  
><em>

_~Michelle_

I don't remember sinking to my knees but I looked up from the paper to see the Ford insignia right in front of me. I'm supposed to be dead? Three years? We failed? It's been less than a year since the change occurred…at least that I know of. _Let Speed go…_ I looked up at This Speed; I didn't realize I had really started crying until I exhaled a sob. I ran my phone light over his hood and found a pair of wire cutters rusted to the metal.

"I'm sorry…" I whispered, my voice still shaking. I pulled the wire cutters away from him. I heard a click of his hood mechanism…he knew what was supposed to happen. After checking for spiders, I reached my hand in and opened the hood. I swallowed back more tears and looked away from the rusted engine as I guided the cutters to the battery cables. I kept it as steady as I could and closed my eyes. _Snap!_

"I'm sorry!" I said again, my voice breaking. There was no more squeaking metal or raspy breath. I lowered the hood gently, avoiding looking into the now blank windshield. I heard the deep rumble before I felt the ground move. The barn groaned and rattled with the earthquake. Panic set in and I sprinted blindly out of the barn. My phone and the paper were gripped in one hand and in the other was the pair of wire cutters. The earthquake had stopped, but the barn continued to fall, as if it was chasing me out. I could see headlights approaching quickly from the back of the property as I rushed down the first breezeway. The noise was deafening. Metal screeched and ripped apart and the earth shook as each wall fell. Ash that had settled was swirling in a wind that came out of nowhere. I cleared the barn and just kept running.

"Michelle!" Speed called, his engine revved to drive him faster toward me. The wall closest to me was falling my way. I pushed myself faster, farther. Speed braked and drifted around me to put himself between the wall and me. The wall crashed down, shooting rocks every which direction. One hit my right ankle directly.

Speed and I huddled together for a few more seconds after the walls settled. Both of us were panting and shaking.

"Are you okay?" I asked him. I could only imagine what his side looked like.

"Just a few small dents and maybe a cracked window…I'll survive. Are you okay? What happened?" He backed up to look at me straight on. I looked down at my bloody ankle and cursed a little under my breath. I limped around Speed to look at the pile of rubble. Was that being held up from the curse? I looked down at the shredding note my left hand still clutched.

"Michelle…" Speed nudged me lightly. "What happened?"

"I…" I began. I looked back at him, his eyes glowing with curiosity and concern. I took a deep breath. "We…we're in another version of our world. The change happened three years ago here…"

"And?" he urged.

"This world's me…is dead. She…I…left me a note telling us to go up the creek bed to someplace. Magic exists here…" my voice faltered as I choked back a sob. I didn't want to tell him. I didn't know how he would react.

"What happened…" Speed's concern grew. I looked down at the wire cutters.

"I never said that this world's you was gone…" His gaze shifted down to the cutters in my hand.

OOOOOOOO

**Speed's POV**

I swallowed hard. I think I knew what was coming next. I was horrified for her.

"Was it peaceful?" I asked, my voice small. Michelle never looked up but I saw her nod and her face contort as she started crying. She sank down and curled up into a ball on the ground.

OOOOOOOO

**Michelle's POV**

He rested next to me, nudging me on occasion and humming something random I couldn't quite figure out. After a few minutes, I stopped crying and the shaking stopped too. It was sometime in the evening by the time I opened my eyes. It was darker than when we first arrived. My ankle throbbed.

"Do you need gas?" I asked him. He offered a tire to balance on as I stood up.

"Yeah. I don't know where we'd get it though. I haven't picked up any radio signals."

"Do you have enough to go into town and then possibly the city?"

"Yeah, I probably have enough to get to where we're supposed to go…but I don't want to be stuck up there. We need to find you a hospital!" He looked down at my ankle.

"About that…humans are almost nonexistent here, and the ones that are here are slaves to the Machines."

"Then…we'll just have to pretend that that's the case. Hopefully there's still a human doctor around. That ankle needs to be looked at." I looked down at the swollen joint and winced as the motion made it hurt. He offered a seat to me.

"I need to ride in the bed, I don't know if they know that this," I stated pointing to his interior. "…is possible."

"Oh…good point." He turned around for me to climb into the bed. My ankle screamed as I climbed in and crawled toward the front.

"Your stickers are gone…" I said, looking at the back window. I didn't notice before that the magnets and stickers were stripped. I looked over his side to see nothing.

"Good, I don't think Gold Star Ranch exists here anymore. Are you okay?" he asked as we rolled down the charred driveway. I took one last look at the property and sighed.

"Let's get out of here," I managed to say before resting my head on my knees and covering it with my arms. I didn't think anymore tears would flow, but they kept coming.


	3. Chapter 3

The destruction of the town was just as bad as the ranch. Speed's headlights passed over buildings that were reduced to mere piles of stone and burnt wood. The air had a grey haze to it and more questions came up about when this happened. I could hear a couple of coyotes yipping in the distance. Speed remained quiet as we looked around. Some buildings were still standing, namely repair shops and a couple of gas stations.

Speed pulled up to a gas pump and lowered himself down for me to gingerly step out. I hobbled over to the pump, cursing silently under my breath with each step I took. A moment of panic flashed in my mind as I looked at the bright numbers on the pump. If it was on, it meant someone was running it.

"Nobody move!" shouted a voice. I threw my hands up and twisted around to see a small group of humans wielding machine guns circling Speed and me. All of them wore ski masks and night goggles. I watched as two of them walked up to Speed's front. One held a crowbar and the other…a pair of cutters.

"No!" I shouted, half running, half hopping toward the pair.

"It's a Machine…it needs to be dealt with!" The woman said pushing me aside. I stumbled and fell.

"He's friendly…I swear!" I argued.

"She's injured…what did you do to her you beast?" the woman said looking back at Speed.

"I…" Speed began.

"He didn't do anything! The building we've been hiding in collapsed and a rock was thrown at me. See the dents on his side? He tried to protect me but the rock flew under him. Please, don't hurt him!" I begged, tears flowing freely from my eyes. I noticed some guns lower.

"What's your name?" the woman asked, looking at me. The green from the goggles glowed lightly.

"Mi…my name's Lynn," I said, using my middle name. Speed watched me, and I could tell he was trying to figure out what was going on.

"Who's your captor?" the man with the wire cutters asked, offering me a hand. I took it and was lifted back on my feet. Ignoring the pain in my ankle, I hobbled back over to Speed's side and placed a hand on his hood. He was trembling slightly. He leaned into my hand and took a shaky breath.

"Simon. He's not my captor…" I somehow doubted they believed me, but it was worth a shot.

"What are you doing out here? Since the Change, no one comes out here anymore…save for Machines with a death wish," the man stated.

"We travel a lot and he felt it would be a good idea to top off here before heading into the mountains." _Part of that's true_, I thought.

"But you were hiding in a building?" someone asked.

"We were going to for the night, but it wasn't as stable as it looked…" I suppressed a shudder as the recent memories floated back.

"I don't believe her," the woman stated, her masked face pointed straight at me. _And that's why I didn't go into acting_.

"Please…is it possible to fill up here and just go? We're not trying to cause any trouble!" Speed blurted out, his voice shaking. I heard the cocking of guns and felt Speed lean into me a little.

"The girl needs some help," I heard a person mutter to the woman. My ankle throbbed in response. The woman sighed.

"Surround it and don't let it go anywhere," the woman commanded, pointing at Speed. His eyes widened and he tried to make himself smaller, fear etching his features.

"No!" I shouted as the woman and the man grabbed me and pulled me away.

"As long as it doesn't do anything, it'll live. Try to relax, we're just gonna clean that wound up for you and maybe get you some food. You must be starving." I stopped fighting and followed these strange people toward the gas station building. I glanced back at Speed.

OOOOOOOO

**Speed's POV**

_Michelle…_ I thought desperately. I watched her disappear into the dilapidated building. I wished telepathy were a thing. The humans with the guns tightened their circle. They all suddenly asked questions at the same time.

"Who's your leader?" _I don't know…_

"How did you get her?" _I didn't get her…we met during the Change…_

"Where are you from?" _The ranch that no longer exists…_

"Did you really throw yourself in front of her to save her?" _Yes…not that you would believe me…_

I remained quiet, afraid that if I said anything at all I would be shot. I kept watching the door to the building, hoping she would run back happily and we could go home. _Home…_

"Do you even talk?" another guy asked. I stayed quiet.

OOOOOOOO

**Michelle's POV**

My whole leg burned, and I suppressed a scream as more medicine was put on my leg.

"You really did a number to your leg. How'd this happen again?" the guy asked. He had taken his head gear off to examine my leg easier. He had black hair and dark blue eyes. He had high cheekbones that made his face look sunken in. I looked up from my leg and scanned the building. The inside of the old gas station market was a mock up camp of sorts. There was a row of cots on one end of the building and a table with papers on it in the middle.

"I…ouch!...I told you…we were in a building that was collapsing. When we ran out, S…Simon put himself in front of me but a rock managed to catch my leg…ouch!" I snapped, pulling my leg up a little.

"You have dirt deep in there…I gotta get it out. My name's Jason by the way." He extended a hand. I shook his hand, eyeing him suspiciously.

"So…why are you guys here?" I asked.

"We all lived here before the Change. I ran this gas station and stocked up on supplies in the basement of my house when news came out about the Machines. Everyone here stocked up too and among us we had enough food to last us years. Every one of us lost someone due to a Machine attacking. When they started enslaving humans, I took cover in a place they couldn't get to. After a while, the Machines gave up coming out here. We'd get the occasional one and…well…you can imagine." He chuckled as he finished wrapping my bandage. I caught my mouth gaping open and shut it before he looked up at me. I looked out to see Speed was still surrounded by the armed humans.

"How possible would it be for them to…" I began.

"Back off? You really do care about him, don't you?" His voice softened. I nodded wordlessly.

"Tell ya what, I'll make a deal with you. Stay the night here and if no one dies by the morning, we'll top him off for you and you guys can take off to wherever." I looked back at him, staring into his eyes. They were kind, soft, honest…I didn't trust them.

"I'm sleeping out with him then," I replied, standing. The medicine was doing its job and I wasn't in pain. Jason shrugged and followed me out to the pumps.

"Stand down, go get rest," he ordered his group.

"I ain't restin' until this piece of scrap metal is out of here," replied someone.

"Then don't rest. They're just staying for the night and they'll leave after both of them have a hearty breakfast in the morning."

"What…do you think you're doing?" the woman from before shouted. "You're going to use _our_ rations on that monster? Are you insane, Jason?"

"Perhaps, but I don't think they'll tell anyone anything. I mean, if that Machine was really as bloodthirsty as the others, I think he would have run over at least two of the guys by now." I slowly snuck over to Speed's side, feeling more comfortable next to him than with the lunatics in front of us. The two leaders – at least, that's what I made them out to be - stared each other down. The rest of the group put their guns down and made their way back to the station.

"Fine!" the woman spat. She stepped right in front of Speed and took her mask off to have her green eyes stare squarely at him. She pulled a pair of wire cutters out of her utility belt and held them right in front of her. I prepared to launch at her and I could sense Speed tensing. "But if you cause any damage…" She snapped the cutters, causing Speed and me to flinch.

"Great! Follow me to a safe spot that you two can stay in." Jason turned and headed around the building. Speed kept his engine off and just rolled next to me. I never let my hand leave his side as we rounded the corner and saw a small lot of Blank vehicles. Speed hesitated but kept moving.

"I'll come out and get ya when we start breakfast. Need anything right now?" he asked me. I just shook my head and watched him leave us.

"Simon?" he whispered with a slight chuckle. I shrugged.

"Got anything better? I don't know what they know, and we need to be careful. Remember, I'm supposed to be…dead…" I let the word fall out of my mouth. I don't exist in this world…Speed doesn't either.

"I want to go home," he whispered. I nodded quietly and leaned forward on his hood, resting my head on my arms.

"Me too, hon…me too. Get some sleep okay? We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow, and driving around a creek is going to wear you out quickly." Speed offered a door.

"Might as well teach them something," he stated. I climbed into the back seat and laid my sore body down. I was asleep faster than I realized I could fall asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

I woke with a start after a dreamless night. Speed was still asleep, or he was being really quiet. My ankle was sore, but whatever Jason did to it seemed to have helped wonders. I lay still, not wanting to wake Speed, and hoping I could catch a few more minutes of sleep before someone woke us up.

"Lynn!" Jason called at that point. I felt Speed jump a little. He called my name a couple more times and peeked into Speed's bed in a slight panic.

"What did you do with her?" Jason asked Speed, anger and hatred spilling with his words.

"He didn't do anything. He was sleeping," I said somewhat groggily as I opened the door and stepped out. Jason's eyes widened.

"You just…what…" He was dumbfounded.

"Yeah, when you actually take the time to get to know someone, you can find out a lot of things about them," I snapped. It was still cloudy out and the air was cool. I moved out of Speed's way so he could fall in behind me as I followed Jason back around the building.

Someone was cooking something in a pot on a charcoal grill and everyone was milling about. They stopped as soon as they noticed Speed and stared.

"I'll go get the pump going if you wanna go over to one," Jason said, trying to sound friendly. Speed pulled around and I waited for the pump to beep saying it was ready. I hooked him up and turned to watch the watching us. I ended up in a stare down with the guy tending to the grill. He eventually gave up as he had cooking to do. The pump clicked and I turned back to put everything away.

"How are you feeling?" I whispered to Speed.

"I'm fine. I managed to get some sleep. What about you? How's your leg?"

"I'll survive. I'm sore, but I've been in worse situations." I kept myself between Speed and the small posse as we approached. Some reached for their weapons, which stopped Speed. I stopped too and decided to clear some space on the cement pad to sit down. I crossed my arms, and like a toddler, I sat and then crossed my legs.

"Serve's up!" the cook shouted. A line quickly formed and food was dished out to the group. My stomach growled, but I remained where I sat.

"Relax, will ya?" Jason laughed handing me a plate full of stew. I picked at it for a moment before eating. It was surprisingly really good! He sat down in front of me and took a big spoonful of the stew.

"We call him Cookie since he loves to cook. He's the best!" Jason stated with a mouthful. I ate in an uncomfortable silence.

OOOOOOOO

"Well…I guess we won't see you around then…Lynn," Jason said after breakfast was cleaned up. I was gifted with a pack of food and some water bottles.

"You're making a big mistake, girl! I don't trust that beast!" Cookie shouted.

"Well I do!" I snapped back. I would have thanked them for the hospitality, but I wanted out of there. So did Speed. He started his engine and opened his door for me. I ignored the gawking faces of the crew and hopped in and before I was settled, Speed was pulling away.

"Where to?" Speed asked.

"We need to head back out to that creek bed and go west," I replied, staring out at the desolate landscape.

OOOOOOOO

We followed next to the creek bed for what seemed like hours. My phone's battery died and neither of us knew if Speed's clock was correct or not. His GPS didn't even work. I alternated between walking and riding in the bed when the terrain called for it.

"Michelle…" he said with a smile in his voice. I bounced around in my seat as Speed navigated the unmarked path.

"Hmmm?"

"…are we there yet?" he moaned.

"Only you would think of that," I teased. He chuckled and then an, "oof!" escaped as he hit a sudden drop. I gripped the handle a little harder than I intended to.

"You okay?"

"I'm fine. Didn't expect that." He stopped for a minute to catch his breath. I jumped out and climbed up the hill a bit to survey the creek.

"So apparently we're gonna know what we're looking for when we find it," I stated. Speed looked up at me with a confused look.

"This world's me couldn't tell me what we were looking for, that it was up the creek bed. We're gonna run out of creek bed soon I think." As if my question was answered, I noticed a bright red fabric hanging off of a dead tree limb.

"I never thought red would be so beautiful," Speed stated.

"No kidding. You ready?" He bounded forward and slowed to let me vault into the bed…slightly regretting it when my ankle protested. I looked over his roof and hung onto the roof rack.

The fabric was on the opposite bank.

"Wait here, I'll see if we can get you across the creek." I hopped down, biting back a yelp. The medicine was wearing off. Speed was a foot from the bank's edge and the spot we were on was barely wide enough for him. A hill rose steeply on the other side. The terrain narrowed ahead of us. I walked ahead in hopes I would find a low point. The bank was at least four feet from the gravel bottom.

"Michelle…you should probably hurry…" Speed called worried.

"I'm going as fast as I can…what's…" I looked back to see him inching forward as the bank collapsed. I quickly jumped out of his way so he could race past me, but it was too late. The dirt gave way to his weight and he slid into the creek bed. His engine roared and his tires spun as he tried to escape.

"Oh my God!" His tires were stuck between chunks of bank, and it seemed it was only getting worse the more he fought.

"I can't move," he said gritting his teeth and revving his engine. The sound echoed through the canyon. Being mindful of his tires, I tried pulling away the heavy chunks of land.

We were at it for what seemed like forever before I collapsed in frustration. I swore, and swore, and swore. I grabbed my greasy, messy hair and pulled on it. Speed let his engine shut off and he rested the best he could to catch his breath.

"I give up!" I screamed looking up at the sky. "I give up!" I repeated throwing my hands up in the air.

"Now? You only just started," a female voice giggled suddenly. I jumped up on my feet and looked around.

"Where are you?" I asked.

"I'm on the other side of Speed. You are in quite the pickle, aren't you?" the voice replied with a giggle. She stepped carefully around Speed and looked up at me. Speed could only stare, his mouth opening slightly. Her hair was snow white and her eyes were the color of diamonds. Her skin shimmered in the dull light of the day and she wore a white tea-length dress. She looked to be no more than in her late teens, though I somehow doubted she was that young.

"Who…who are you?" I gasped.

"I'm Alida. I'm supposed to help you on your quest to change this world, and ultimately go home. But we'll go into detail later. Right now…our friend here is in need of assistance. Okay, don't be scared." _Yeah…too late…_ I thought. _I heard that,_ Alida's voice echoed in my mind, causing me to jump back. I saw a smirk play on her lips as she concentrated on Speed. She lifted her hands up in front of her.

A light blue aura surrounded Speed and the land moved away as he was lifted into the air.

"What…" was all he managed to say before Alida shushed him. I could only watch in confusion. Alida guided Speed over to the other bank and gently set him on his tires. I saw him sigh from relief. Alida turned back to me, a kind smile on her face.

"I'm not into flying," I said. She giggled and held out her hand. I hesitated before taking it. _Just walk like normal_, her voice played in my mind. I stared at her, her smile still soft and welcoming. I took a step, and then another. Eventually we were walking over the creek bed like it was a flat road.

"Don't let go or you'll fall," she stated as my grip loosened. We made it to the other side next to Speed before she let go of my hand. I dropped an inch and steadied myself. Speed was by my side in an instant, gently nudging me with his bumper.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm adding dents to my collection," he chuckled.

"I can fix those for you, but first, you two must be tired. Welcome home!" Alida threw her arms up as if showing us something. I craned my neck to look around her. It was nothing but hillside.

"Oh, I forget, newbies don't know how to see through glamours…" she stated after a moment of awkward silence. She turned her back on us and pushed her arms down.

A shimmering curtain fell and revealed a cottage complete with a garage.

"Welcome home!" she repeated again, a grin painted on.


	5. Chapter 5

The cottage was small, but homey. Alida skipped up to her home, humming a little tune while Speed and I took in the surroundings. The square lot the building sat on had a flower garden that appeared to wrap around to behind the cottage. Everything was in bloom and bright and colorful; a stark contrast to the dark clouds and the dead grass of the hills. Alida stopped in front of the garage door and opened it. There was no wall dividing the main part of the cottage and the garage from what I noticed.

"Here's where Speed will sleep," she stated in a bubbly manner. Speed and I entered the room quietly. Alida danced through the cottage and stopped before a small cot.

"It's usually me here, so a cot is all I have," she said sheepishly. I remained next to Speed and kept a hand on his side.

"You can trust me! I'm not like other warlocks in this world. Oh yeah…you're not from a magic world. Hehe, awkward! I should explain everything…but I bet you're probably hungry, sore, and in need of fresh clothing. C'mon, and I'll take you over to the spring so you can bathe." She extended her small hand to me. Reluctantly, I stepped toward her and took her hand. Her smile turned into a grin and she led me out to the back of the cottage. I looked back at Speed, who seemed to be amused by the situation.

Just like the front, the back yard area was a giant flower garden. In the middle of the flowery hedges was a bubbling spring. A little waterfall flowed from the far end of the pool. Alida pulled me along a narrow dirt path to a set of stone steps leading into the water.

"It's a little warm at first, but it feels amazing to sore muscles. There's soap and shampoo underneath the waterfall." I gawked at her until she returned my gaze.

"What? I gotta wash my hair too. I may be magical, but hair is a pain to keep healthy if I rely on magic all the time. I'll stop by in a few with a change of clothes. You seem to be my size." She skipped off leaving me to myself and my thoughts. I looked around before stripping off my tattered clothing. I took the first step into the water. My skin tingled from the warmth. It was perfect. I slowly sank into the spring until I ran out of steps. The water was shoulder deep and so refreshing. I felt the grime from the hike wash away in the small current of the spring. I waded over to the soap and indulged myself in the lavender scented bar while letting the waterfall rinse my hair.

OOOOOOOO

I almost forgot where I was and what was going on for a few minutes.

"Too long in there will result in wrinkly skin." I heard a giggle and opened my eyes. Alida stood at the edge of the spring with an armful of clothing and a towel. For the first time in a while, I felt myself smile.

"I decided to try a new look," I replied.

"You're too young for wrinkles," she said, wrinkling her nose.

"How old are you?" I asked abruptly. I felt rude all of the sudden at the outburst. She grinned.

"You lose track after your first hundred years, but I'm around three-hundred." She suddenly laughed at what I'm assuming was my expression. She set the towel and clothes down and glided back to the cottage.

OOOOOOOO

**Speed's POV**

Michelle wasn't with Alida when the warlock came back.

"Now…" she began, and cracked her knuckles. "Let's get you taken care of." I wasn't sure how to react. She walked around to my damaged side to assess the dents.

"They don't hurt…at least not bad…" I said.

"Shush, I'll get you all fixed up no problem." I flinched when she rested her hand on my side.

"I didn't realize I was gonna be working with a couple of chickens," she muttered. I wanted to retort back, but decided against it. There was a bright light and a cooling sensation where the dents were and then there was nothing.

"There, all better. Can't have the hero looking like he came from a junkyard now can we?" she stated. I felt better.

"Thank you," I managed to say.

"Don't mention it. Once Michelle gets dressed, I'll explain what I can. There's a lot of things that you guys need to learn on your own…but I can at least get you acclimated to how this world works. I'll be back!" She danced off and a moment later I heard a door open and close.

OOOOOOOO

**Michelle's POV**

The new clothes fit perfectly. They weren't too loose, but they weren't restricting either. She gave me new shoes, which were a pair of rugged hiking boots. I was careful about the right boot and the soaking bandage.

"Here, let me get that for you," Alida said right behind me. I jumped and almost fell into the spring. She giggled and knelt down next to my leg. She was careful as she pulled the bandage off, revealing the ugly hole in my ankle. Her hand hovered over the wound and the blue aura appeared around it. I watched in awe as the gash disappeared and the pain with it.

"Thank you!" I said, breathless.

"It's nothing. C'mon, I need to explain things to you and Speed." She offered a hand and pulled me up.

OOOOOOOO

Alida treated me to a mug of hot chocolate while I placed the cot next to Speed and curled myself up on it. I sipped on the delicious treat while she prepared something.

"Okay, so I won't go all freaky magicky on you, but there are some things best explained through visuals, and as you can tell…no TV." She motioned around the small room before snapping back into position.

"Visuals?" Speed asked. Her never-ending smile turned back at us.

"Okay, close your eyes." Reluctantly I let my lids fall. I felt the mug slip away from my grasp.

_I felt the air swirl around me and suddenly I wasn't in Alida's cottage. I was at the ranch, and something told me it was the day of the Change. I could hear people screaming and could see some of the hands running from the housing area. Machines kicked up gravel as they raced off of the ranch; some seemed to be in a panic, others were just following orders._

_ I felt myself fly through time and we were hovering over the city. Machines had humans in harnesses and some of them had humans walking on their hands and feet._

_ The air danced again and something told me it was nine months later…just where Speed and I were in our world before the earthquake. Some strange Machine was driving up to us. He was solid black and had glowing red eyes. He effectively had Speed and me cornered in the barn. There were hardly any horses in the stalls too and I could smell fire. A man appeared next to the Machine._

_ "Please leave us alone!" this world's me cried. She was standing in front of this world's Speed._

_ "You don't deserve to be alive, Squishie!" snarled the Machine, his engine growling. He suddenly launched at her and I looked away, listening to the sickening scream. My stomach churned._

_ "As for you, traitor. You will live on in pain and suffering; rusting right where you are parked until some poor soul decides you are worth putting down." A red and green aura circled that Speed and a deafening wail escaped from him. I realized at that point that he became incapacitated. _

We were suddenly back in Alida's cottage. My face was wet and I could feel Speed trembling next to me. Alida was sat on the couch in front of us. For once, she wasn't smiling.

"I arrived about a year later and wrote the note to lead you up here. The curse kept me from helping him or giving any details. Every time I tried to do something, it made the situation worse."

"What's the point of us coming though? Why are we here and not in our own world?"

"Because, in this world, neither of you were supposed to die. I was going to come and help you fight the dark magic that was causing the chaos in the world and bring balance to the two races. Your world was the closest in the timeline, and in how things worked, than other worlds. Minus the magic we have here, our worlds are the same." I felt myself shiver a little.

"What happens in our world though? We just disappeared!" Alida ran a hand through her hair.

"Yeah, I didn't think that far through. There will be quite a commotion when you guys go back. Just claim you took off to check for runaway horses or something. I should probably tell you also that you need to be quick on your quest here, since things will be happening in your timeline that would be detrimental to your fate."

"So…you're risking our natural timeline to save this one?" I felt a rivulet of anger rise in my veins.

"Well…just be quick about what you have to do here!" she replied uncomfortably.

"And what exactly is it we have to do?" I asked, leaning forward.

"Do what you did before…convince the world that we can coexist!"


	6. Chapter 6

"That was rather difficult and time consuming to do in our world. I thought you said the longer we're here, the worse it gets in our world?"

"But you have magic here!" Alida threw her arms open. I rubbed my temples.

"Look, I believe in all of this magic…force…whatever you wanna call it…"

"Funny you should mention the force…George Lucas is a warlock here. Most filmmakers are actually. That term 'movie magic'…that came from here!"

"What I was going to say…I believe in what I'm seeing right now…but how will that help us speed up the process of convincing the entire planet that humans and Machines can coexist and that one isn't a slave to the other?" I asked.

"That you'll have to figure out for yourself. I can't unfortunately tell you a whole lot more. I can tell you that you have magic in your blood, Michelle."

"But I'm not from this world…so…I don't…"

"Au contraire." She sat down on the back of her couch and crossed her legs.

"I'm confused…" Speed said, breaking the awkward silence that had fallen upon us.

"Join the club," I muttered bitterly.

"You have magic in you, Michelle. Everyone does, no matter the world you live in. It may not be quite so bold as it is here. But anyway, you have magic, that'll help you in your quest. I'm here to train both of you to use what skills you do have."

"_Both_ of us?" Speed asked. Alida nodded.

"Most of the skills you possess in your world are considered magical skills here. This world's odd like that. Michelle, your skill for reading body language is enhanced here as mind reading. Speed, since you and Michelle are so close in both worlds, you have those abilities too. It's not a lot but…"

"But it's useful," I replied. "So, Speed and I are basically telepathic?" _Kinda wish that were a thing at home…_ I thought, looking up at Speed.

"Yes and no…we can develop it. First, you two need sleep. We train tomorrow, and then you leave to go change the world!"

OOOOOOOO

"Ugh…my head hurts," I moaned, massaging my temples fiercely. We had been practicing for three hours of trying to read Alida's mind. Either she was blocking us, or she was wrong about the magic. Speed has his eyes closed and was taking a few deep breaths. We were in front of Alida's cottage by the creek bed. She perched herself on the dead tree that had her scarf while Speed and I had a spot underneath the tree.

"Okay…take a break. Hmmm, maybe we need to try something different. I can't let you leave until you have this mastered, or at least minored." Alida giggled at her joke. I just looked up at her, feeling frustrated.

"Are you sure we're supposed to have powers?" Speed asked, opening an eye. She sighed and jumped down from the tree and landed right in front of him. He jumped back.

"Yes! Hmmm…" With her face twisted in determination, she sprinted back to the cottage only to appear two seconds later in front of us with a giant book. It levitated in front of her as she flipped through pages.

"Nothing!" she shouted, slamming the book closed. It disappeared with a poof.

"Maybe we just don't have telepathy. Remember, we're not part of this world and the way this world works," I tried reasoning.

"No! No no no no no! Oooooh I'm so going to be in trouble," Alida muttered as she began pacing. Speed and I exchanged a quick glance.

"How are you going to be in trouble?" Speed asked. She stopped mid-stride and looked back afraid.

"Who said anything about being in trouble?" she asked, giggling nervously. _ Probably a good thing they can't read minds…_ I felt my eyes widen, but was thankful she didn't see. I had a sudden idea to get her to tell us what she knew.

"You know what? I'm done! I'm tired of all of this secrecy crap! I feel like I'm on some creepy TV show…I'm done!" I threw my hands up exasperated and started following the creek bed back down to the valley. Speed hesitated for a moment before I heard him pull in behind me.

"Wait! Wait! You can't leave yet!" Alida shouted frantically.

"Oh yeah? Watch me!" I shouted back.

"You need to be trained for your skill or you'll never get this world back to order!" Her voice was pleading.

"And how do I know I can trust you, huh?" I asked turning back. "This is worthless and you know it! Futures change all the time, what makes this world different?" Without waiting for an answer I turned back on my heels and continued. Speed stared at me wide-eyed as we worked down the creek side. _What's going on?_ I heard his voice ask.

OOOOOOOO

**Speed's POV**

I knew Michelle was frustrated…I was frustrated. I didn't think she would have blown up at Alida like that though. _What's going on?_ I thought, trying to process what just happened. _Can't trust anyone running around and giggling…_ I thought I heard Michelle say. She didn't turn her head though and the voice wasn't as clear as usual.

OOOOOOOO

**Michelle's POV**

_Michelle?_ Speed's voice sounded like it was in a tunnel. Alida appeared right in front of us; her face had a wild mix of excitement and fear.

"You can read minds! Of course…how could I forget? Sometimes it takes an extreme emotion to trigger the skill! Michelle, that was brilliant!" She grabbed me for a hug. I pushed her back. I don't mind hugs…when I see them coming.

"Are you insane?" I asked.

"Think it!" she said.

"You can read minds though, that's almost pointless…" And it was totally not what I was going for.

"But see? Now that you've triggered it, you can learn how to block that from happening!"

"Why do I feel like I already know how to?"

"It's really simple! All you need to do is visualize that you and the person you're trying to talk to is in a box that no one can hear through, and you've got it!" _Great, thanks. Now kindly get out of my way so I can go save this world and get home, _I thought bitterly to her. She looked a little hurt, and I felt bad in a way…but she was getting on my nerves.

_Where are we gonna go?_ Speed asked. I visualized the box like Alida said.

_I don't know yet, hon. Probably someplace to fill you up…and then probably to the city_. Was telepathy really that simple? I was so focused that I ended up flat on my stomach after tripping over a rock. Speed almost rolled over me but stopped just in time.

"No…I guess not," I said out loud.

"Are you okay?" he asked, suppressing a giggle. He backed up to give me room.

"You know the only way to prevent that from happening again is if you stay put in a safe environment and practice." Alida appeared in front of us again. She hovered at eye level but was sitting cross-legged in mid-air. I fell back into Speed's grill from being startled. She snapped and we were suddenly back in her cottage. Speed and I landed rather rough. I inwardly sighed.

"One more night and you can leave tomorrow. Deal?" she asked, practically begging. I rolled my eyes.

"Fine."


	7. Chapter 7

We practiced the "skill" until late into the night. I was exhausted, and though Speed didn't say…or think…anything, he looked just as worn out. We had practiced blocking our thoughts using random phrases like _the sky is blue_. We also worked on minimizing the effort…though Alida admitted it would still take time and practice. I picked at Alida's mind, hoping to find clues about what is going on, but she kept it blocked pretty well.

"Like I promised earlier, you can leave tomorrow. I think you're ready enough. I'll let you two get some sleep. You have a long quest in front of you," Alida said, but not in her usual bubbly manner. _I just hope they come out if it okay,_ she thought sadly to herself as she turned away from the garage and out to the garden. For a moment, I wasn't sure if she deliberately let me hear, or if I just was getting better at the skill. I rubbed my eyes and lay flat on the cot. Speed pulled into the garage from getting some fresh air and lied down next to me.

"How are you feeling?" I mumbled reaching a hand up to set on his hood. _I think I'll survive._ I could hear a chuckle too.

_Think we can tackle this again?_ I asked referring to changing the world. I closed my eyes and I imagined the fight we had with Ma'am.

_I don't know. I wanna go home…_ he thought sadly.

_Me too, hon…me too…_ I replied. I let my mind wander for a while, occasionally poking at Speed's mind to see if I was getting any better at this skill. I could catch words or even random sentences, but not full on thoughts.

_Hey…what do you think the others are doing?_ Speed asked. I felt bad…I'd been overwhelmed, as I'm sure Speed was, to even think about the others.

_I don't know. I hope they are all okay. That earthquake kinda sucked._

_ Do you think they're looking for us?_ I mentally shrugged and heard Speed sigh. I was feeling the effects from the day and shifted my body so I could sleep comfortably. Speed shifted a little too and I could hear a distant 'good night' before sleep consumed me.

OOOOOOOO

Alida left a backpack full of food and clothes for me next to my cot. I didn't hear her walk up and set it down, but I was so tired I probably wouldn't have heard a bomb go off. I sat up slowly, not wanting to wake Speed. I slipped out of the cottage and found Alida perched in the tree and looking down the creek to the valley. The corners of her mouth lifted as I neared, but she didn't say anything.

"So…who should we be watching out for while we're convincing people?" I asked after a moment. The air was cool, and there seemed to be a break in the cloud canopy over the valley.

"Well, the guy who killed this world's you for one thing. He's a powerful warlock…really powerful. That Machine? Yeah…he's not a piece of cake either..."

"I'm sorry…I've been a bitch to you, and you've been nothing but nice to Speed and me." I heard a chuckle and saw her shrug from the corner of my eye.

"You kinda have every right to be a bitch to me. I pulled you from your comfort zone…your actual _world_ and told you all of these crazy things that you're supposed to do." _Michelle…where'd you go?_ Speed asked tiredly. _Out front_, I replied.

"You guys got the hang of that pretty quick," Alida mused. Something was off about her; she wasn't her normal, chipper self.

"I guess we did. How long before the headache goes away?" I asked, massaging my head.

"Just practice every day for a few hours, you'll be fine."

"I'm gonna give Speed a chance to wake up, and then I think we're gonna take off." I started stepping toward the cottage. She hopped down from her seat and walked next to me.

"There's a pump around the back for him. I have to go do something, but I do wish you luck!" She stopped and looked like she was going to hug me before she stepped back. I smiled softly and gave her a small hug. In a blink of an eye, she disappeared. Speed pulled up at that point, holding the backpack Alida packed me with his teeth. I giggled a little and took it from him.

_She said there's a pump around the back,_ I said, looking directly at him. He made a nodding motion and backed up around the cottage.

OOOOOOOO

**Speed's POV**

Thankfully the terrain wasn't so harsh going downhill. It seemed we were making progress faster than we did when we came up the creek. Michelle alternated between riding and walking.

_Where are we going first?_ I thought to her.

_Someplace smoother…_ she replied back bitterly. I couldn't agree more.

OOOOOOOO

**Michelle's POV**

It was late by the time we arrived in the city. Unlike our hometown, the city was still standing…mostly. I sat in Speed's cab and watched other Machines drive by, oblivious to my presence. Some of them had humans helping them, but as I looked closer, the humans were in a harness and leash of sorts and being dragged around. I cringed and shifted uncomfortably.

"Let's fine someplace to stay…" I suggested quietly. _Good idea…_

OOOOOOOO

We managed to find a vacant hotel that accepted the human 'pets'. Speed found an alley to hide in so I could shift from the cab to his bed.

"Don't be mean to me, okay?" I joked. He responded with a low chuckle and pulled over to the hotel. It was an older looking building that was retrofitted for the Machines to use. I ducked down and stayed hidden.

"Welcome, traveler! How may I help you?" an enthusiastic voice rang.

"Yeah, I need a room to stay in for a while," Speed replied.

"We have just the room for you then, good sir! Do you have a pet?"

"I have a friend," Speed replied flatly.

"So a room for two then?" the voice replied with a chuckle. "When will your _friend_ be arriving?" _Oh brother_… I thought to Speed.

"She's with me." I took that as a cue and poked my head over his side to see a shocked VW bug staring back at me. He quickly recovered and lowered his eyelids.

"So you need a room with _pet_ accommodations. Don't let _it_ make a mess. Follow me." The little car turned abruptly and drove around to the other side of the building.

_Well…that happened…_ I thought. Speed thought back a smile. We were stopped in front of a garage door.

"So why do you call your pet your friend?" the bug asked suddenly.

"Because she is. She was my owner before the change. She took care of me and I didn't feel the need to take off or hurt her. Our home was destroyed, so we decided to hit the road and work together to survive," Speed explained, trying to stay calm. I could hear his string of explicatives racing through his mind.

"So you treat _it_ nicely then? Humans are monsters that abused us when we couldn't fight back. How do you know you can trust—"

"Because she saved my life more times than I could count! Now can we please have _our_ room? We've been on the road all day and I'm sure I can speak for _both_ of us when I say that we're _both_ tired!" _You're grumpy when you're tired…_ I giggled. I received a grumble in response. The garage door opened and the bug left without saying another word. I jumped down from the bed and looked around the small room. There was a bathroom and in the corner a dog bed.

"Adds insult to injury…doesn't it?" I asked with a laugh. I turned back and noticed Speed really did look tired.

"It's better than nothing…I guess." He lowered his voice. "How are we going to pay for this?" A gut feeling told me to check the backpack. I dug through the clothes and food wrappers and found a credit card for a Simon Ford. I held it up to him with a giggle and a silent thanks to Alida. _Answer your question?_ The headaches were finally going away, and I felt it was easier to talk to him that way. He chuckled a little before settling on the carpeted floor. I looked down at the nasty dog bed and decided to sleep in the back seat.

OOOOOOOO

The next morning came too fast. My stomach yelled at me and I knew the backpack was void of any more food. I lay flat on my back, not wanting to disturb Speed. _I was wondering when you would wake up_ he teased.

"I wish I could just sleep forever. We need to go find a grocery store…or someplace that has human food…" I said as I stepped out of the cab. I dared to take a peek at the mirror next to the bathroom. I didn't recognize my reflection. I lost a lot of weight in the few days we've been in this world.

"I wonder if I could ask the manager?" Speed mused. I shrugged and dug through the backpack to find a complete set of clothes.

"You go, I'm gonna get cleaned up…though I'm willing to bet the bathroom is trashed…" Speed left as I opened the creaking door. The bathroom was surprisingly not as gross as I imagined. It would suffice though.


	8. Chapter 8

My cold shower was quick; I didn't want to be in there any longer than necessary. I stepped out of the cracking tub and into some fresh clothes. I didn't have a brush and settled for brushing my hair with my fingers and throwing it into a ponytail. Speed was still gone.

_Did the manager start yapping your ear off?_ I asked. I wasn't sure how far apart we could be before we couldn't hear each other. I didn't get an answer for a few minutes. I finished cleaning up my stuff and paced the floor. I kept calling for him, and never received an answer. My stomach tightened and my heartbeat quickened.

I couldn't wait any longer and rushed out of our room. I picked up a light jog and rounded the building's corner to the office. I walked into the empty room, noting it was also void of furniture. _Speed…where are you?_ I thought desperately.

"Loose pet!" I heard someone shout. I jumped and spun around to see a mini van staring back in horror. She shouted again while I motioned for her not to, which made her panic even more. I heard sirens in the distance and felt adrenaline flow through my veins. I couldn't head back to the room, I'd be cornered, and even though common sense told me not to run, I ran.

I didn't know where to go, and the logical part of me kept telling me to stop…I had to find Speed. _Speed…a little help here would be nice! _I told Speed as my muscles ached. I barely missed being hit by a patrol vehicle as he slammed on his brakes and spun around to chase me. It really was pointless to be running from a Machine…but I had to get away.

I turned down the city's historic downtown street. The dilapidated buildings lay vacant; windows and doors were boarded shut and I could see graffiti, though I couldn't make out the wording. I prayed I would find a torn down door so I could run inside. The brick and cobble road slowed my pursuers down as they swerved to avoid potholes. At last I found an open building and dove inside.

The only light was from outside, but it was enough to know I wasn't stepping in anything unpleasant. Loose hair stuck to the layer of sweat on my skin. I struggled for oxygen in the thickness of the air. I couldn't settle for too long as the police cruisers were already at the storefront peering in. I hid behind a support wall, my whole body shaking.

_Where's that little monster?_ I heard the first cruiser think.

"We're just gonna take you back to your master," he said out loud. _Or shoot you…_ I gulped down some air and stepped out into the cruiser's lights. I held my hands up.

"I don't know where my friend is. I panicked and ran. I'm sure 'sorry' doesn't cut it…but I am." _Did it just say friend?_ I bit back the urge to reply.

"Shut up! No one cares about your excuses. Your master will just have to buy you back. This building is surrounded so you might as well come on out and we'll take you to the pet store." I fumed at his statement, but I wouldn't be able to run. I heard the throb of propellers hovering over the building, and knew I wouldn't be able to get away quickly if I tried. Keeping my hands up, I slowly walked toward the officer. My knees wobbled and I felt as if I would collapse at any moment.

"Get in the trailer," the officer said, backing to reveal a truck pulling a small, flat trailer. I stepped on and was barely seated before the truck jolted purposely forward.

OOOOOOOO

I lost track of time, but after what seemed like forever, I was bounced to a burnt…but familiar warehouse. The large roll-up door opened and inside was cages full of people. Some cages were stacked three high, and others were large enough for the occupant to pace. The truck stopped in front of one empty cage.

"Welcome to your new home…vermin…" spat the truck. I stepped off the trailer and watched him navigate a sharp turn to face me, not caring that he bumped the cages. He motioned with his eyes for me to get into the bottom cage. _Stupid humans, they seem to get dumber the longer we keep 'em alive…_ I reluctantly got onto my hands and knees and crawled into the cell. It was barely large enough for a big cat to lie down in. At the back was a dog bed and a tray of shredded newspaper.

"You'll get fed in a bit, can't have pets dying on me; it doesn't look good for business." He slammed the cage home with his tire and pressed a button that locked the cage door. Claustrophobia kicked in and I huddled into the back corner of the cage trying not to cry. _Speed…_ I tried, though it felt like the whole telepathy thing was just a joke now.

OOOOOOOO

I must have fallen asleep at some point because I was startled by the sound of cages opening and shutting. The truck from earlier rolled up by my cage and chucked in a can of refried beans before slamming the door home. I took the can and stared at it. There was no tab to open it. I looked around the dark warehouse and noticed people gnawing at the can, others trying their best to stomp the cans open, and others just stared blankly at the bland food.

I played with the can for a few minutes and decided I was hungry enough. I put the can on the cement lip down and started forcefully dragging it back and forth until the metal wore down and the top fell off. I didn't think I was too loud, but I had several people on my level staring at me with awe. Thoughts hit me like, _how'd she do that?... she's too smart for this torture…poor girl_. I smiled shyly and scooped some of the beans out to eat.

OOOOOOOO

I found myself curled up against the back of my cage on the stale, smelly dog bed after I finished eating. Conversations were few and far between the other humans. _Speed…please help me…_ I was desperate. At least with Ma'am I could get away.

"What's yer story, kid?" a gravelly voice to the cage's right asked. I looked over to see a pair of twinkling eyes peering into my cage.

"I'm not a kid," I said, pouting. He chuckled a little.

"Didn't answer my question…" he said, amused.

"I was with my friend, Sp…Simon, and he left to find me food. I was worried about him and left our room. I got scared and ran from the police and here I am." I hoped he didn't hear my slip up, though at that point I was crying. The eyes just stared at me and I could see sadness. I looked around to see the shadows of other people watching the exchange.

"He was one of the rare ones, eh?"

"What do you mean?"

"Yer Machine friend. Simon. The friendly ones aren't usually around here. I had one too. I was a car collector before the Change. I took care of my cars, and when the Change happened, many of them stayed because they were happy to have a home and a family of sorts. When the new government was established, they were forced to leave. Only one stayed though, but he was old, and I was in the middle of restoring him when the Change happened…" I could hear the sadness in his voice.

"I'm so…so sorry…" I managed to say. He chuckled a little and I could hear the sound of clothes shifting as I'm sure he shrugged.

"I bet yer Simon is just fine, and he's probably lookin for ye now. Best advice though, don't get too used to people around ye…Machines don't take care of their pets very well. High turn around."

"Thanks…what's your name?" I asked the man.

"Greg. Yers?"

"Lynn."


	9. Chapter 9

**Speed's POV**

I left Michelle in the room while I drove over to talk to the manager.

"It's you…did your _pet_ behave itself?" I rolled my eyes and got up close to the smaller car. I looked down at him and noticed he shrank back.

"My _friend_ is fine. She is hungry though, so I want to get her food. Where is the nearest store that sells human food?" He sighed.

"Take a left out of here and go around the block. It's about three blocks down on the right. I wouldn't trust her if I were you. Humans are trouble!" I promptly ignored him after I got the directions.

OOOOOOOO

The store was a grocery store. It wasn't as run down as most of the other buildings, but it was still ill kept. Everything was still set up for humans, and I wasn't sure if I would be able to get any food. I saw a guy walking back toward the store. He looked like he wasn't too harshly treated and he looked like he worked there.

"Um…excuse me?" I asked, hopefully not sounding threatening. He jumped and spun around.

"I was just heading back in! I'm not a stray!" he cried.

"No no no! I was just wondering if I could get some food for my friend?" He stared at me confused. _Did he say friend?_ I heard him think.

"Um…okay. What kind of food?" He pulled out a notepad and pen.

"I don't eat it…so I really don't know…" I said, chuckling lightly. _Who is this weirdo? _His voice echoed in my mind.

"I'm Simon, by the way. I don't know if you have to put that anywhere or not. I hate to sound demanding, but I think my friend wouldn't mind anything that lasts a long time." The guy wrote down something on the notepad and jogged back toward the building. There were few Machines parked in the cracked and faded parking lot. I found a spot right in front of the building.

"Didn't want to be seen with your pet?" a black sports car asked as he parked in front of me. Something about him was eerily familiar, but I pushed back the thought.

"Heh, she's not my pet. She wasn't feeling well so I left her at home." _Please don't hear my lies…_ I thought, making sure to block my mind in case he was who I thought he was.

"Don't lie. Some of us are ashamed to be with our pets too. They're an embarrassing lot…humans are." He rolled his eyes for effect.

"Why are you here? Where's your…er…pet?" I was uncomfortable with the word. Even Michelle never called her animals her pets; she called them family.

"I have him doing something else that needs to get done today. Decided he's gotta be eating in order to do it, so here I am. Hey you! I need to order here!" He shouted at a younger girl. She flinched at his voice but scrambled over. Meanwhile the guy who was helping me quickly walked out to me with several bags hanging from his arms.

"Here you go…sir. It'll be twenty dollars even." He gently placed the bags into my bed. I could hear thoughts of _don't scratch him_ playing like a broken CD.

"My card is in my hub cap," I said as I lifted my tire. At some point during the craziness of transferring worlds, Michelle noticed some features that weren't with me before, such as a card slot specifically for credit cards. The guy hesitated for a moment before pulling the card out and swiping it through a card reader he pulled out of his apron. He put the card back in the slot and stuffed a receipt in there too.

"Hey thanks! Have a good one!" I said as pleasant as I could to both humans and the sports car. The guy half smiled before rushing over to help another Machine.

OOOOOOOO

"Hey Lynn, I got you some food that should last at least a week," I called as I opened the door to our room. It was empty. _Michelle?_ No response.

"She took off. I told you humans are trouble!" the manager said driving up.

"There's more to the story than that…what did you do to her?" I revved my engine angrily and rolled up to the Machine. He gulped and backed up against the fence.

"I'm telling you, she took off. One of the other guests called for a loose pet and the police chased her. I don't know where they went after that. My guess is one of the pet warehouses. They supply pets to Machines." He was visibly shaking, and I was curious as to what happened.

"Where can I find these warehouses?"

"They're at the industrial end of town…" I left him in a cloud of dust and gravel. I silently apologized for the gravel part, even though I was still peeved at him.

OOOOOOOO

The industrial end of the city seemed to be untouched by the Change. The buildings were already meant to have large vehicles drive through them, so . The only noticeable differences were remnants of fires and that it wasn't as clean as the main portion of the city. I pulled up to the first warehouse that had any signs of activity.

"H…hello?" To say I was nervous was an understatement. The warehouse had a crudely painted sign declaring "Cheap Pets For Sale". The roll-up door was closed.

"Hello?" I said louder.

"Just a minute!" sang a female voice. I heard the rev of a diesel engine and the squeal of worn brakes. Suddenly the door was opening and parked on the other side was a red truck. She was a little shorter than me, but not by much.

"Well hello," she said pleasantly.

"Hi. I'm…looking for my friend. She was chased and she is most likely in one of these warehouses. May I come in and look?" She rolled back with a smile and I took that as a yes. The inside of the building reminded me of a kennel that Michelle and I went to one time to help the owners out with some kennel panels.

"I had a small number of humans come in today so perhaps your pet was one of them. I usually take in the strays, though I'm not the only one."

"She's not a pet…she's a friend." I had a feeling this mission was going to take much longer than I hoped. I drove forward and looked over the sad faces of the humans. Most of them were young, probably younger than Michelle by the looks of them. Men had stubble or messy beards and the women had tangled and greasy looking hair. None of them looked like Michelle. _Michelle? _I tried. No response.

"What does she look like?" asked the other truck.

"She's about five and a half feet tall. Blonde. Blue eyes." _Which describes about half of the females…_ I heard the truck think. She sighed.

"What's her name?" she asked as she looked at a board with names in boxes.

"Lynn." It felt weird saying it when it was really not her name.

"Hmmm…no Lynn. Sorry. She might have been run over for all I know. Wanna purchase another one?" I didn't need to hear that and felt stuck for a moment. I looked around at the sad sight in front of me and came up with an idea. _Michelle wouldn't mind me doing this…_

"Sure. Is there a law about how many we can buy?" I asked acting interested.

"No, you can buy as many as you want. Some folks have breeding farms. Keeps Machines like me in business." That was way too much information for my liking.

"Well…no…I just like having company. Can I take ten?" _I'm sorry…_ I felt sick.

"Sure! Which ten…or do you want any ten?"

"Surprise me…" I replied.

OOOOOOOO

After a half hour of the red truck sifting through the humans, I had ten scared, starving people sitting in my bed. I could hear thoughts of digging into the bags of food I had.

"How much do I owe you?" I asked the shopkeeper.

"Because you purchased so many…five hundred should do it," she stated with a wink. She had a person grab my card and swipe it in a reader. After a moment I was on my way…somewhere.

"Have a good day, Mr. Ford!" I inwardly shuddered.

"Excuse me? Where are you taking us?" asked a younger boy.

"Hang on," I said keeping my voice low. I wasn't sure who would hear me if I were to explain my plan. Keeping my eyes peeled for any trouble, I sped forward and out of the city.

OOOOOOOO

Jason would probably kill me, but I at least died trying. We neared the demolished town and I slowed to a stop to explain. I felt bad they had to wait an hour, but I was making sure no one followed.

"If you haven't figured it out by now, I'm trying to save you. There are people living here, and they would be more than happy to see more people." _I think…_ I didn't get any responses from the humans, so I just continued to the gas station Michelle and I went to before.

"Jason?" I called after I parked in front of the building. Suddenly the entire group surrounded me, their weapons shining in the dull, cloudy light.

"Hey…it's that one truck again!" someone stated. Jason walked up looking a little confused.

"Decided one wasn't enough, huh?" he chuckled.

"I saved them. I felt bad not saving more people. I didn't know where else to go…" Jason eyed me suspiciously and I could hear my words echoing in his thoughts. I was afraid I would slip about Michelle…I felt that was a personal battle, and I knew she would hold her own until I came back.

"You're a rare one you are." He walked around to my bed to help the humans down. I was in a daze as the rush of energy I had faded. Jason had said something about filling me up, and I felt myself being hooked up to the pump, but I am fairly certain I passed out.

OOOOOOOO

It was morning when I came to again. I was still parked where I stopped the afternoon before. Once my eyesight adjusted, I realized I wasn't alone. A young girl stood next to the pump and hung onto the hose as she watched me. Her brown hair hung limp and her blue eyes were wide with curiosity. She looked so familiar, but a name wasn't clicking.

"Hi," I said softly. I didn't want to scare her, though I doubted it since she was standing right there. Her little mouth twitched and she ducked her face down, letting out a little giggle.

"What's your name?"

"Olivia! What are you doin out there? Come on in before you catch a cold!" a familiar voice shouted from the building. Olivia waved shyly to me before running back to her older brother.

The door slamming shut was my cue to go back to the city.


	10. Chapter 10

**Michelle's POV**

I pulled my bloodied fingers back from the cage lock. Greg had kept quiet the entire time, though I know he watched as I desperately tried to pry myself free from the cell. My breath came short and shallow and my body shook from malnutrition. _Speed…_ Even my mind's voice was hoarse. I lost track of time and felt myself letting go of my best friend finding me the longer I was in the cage.

OOOOOOOO

Time passed, that much I knew. Four or five Machines had picked up some humans. One human was a girl who was in the cage directly in front of me. She looked like a wild animal as the truck running the warehouse and another human dragged her out by a stray dog noose.

I tried reaching out to Speed in hopes that he was nearby.

"Pinin' fer yer friend is just gon' make ye sick," Greg stated, his eyes glowin' in the ambient light of the building. I leaned my head back on the brick wall.

"I know, but I…I just wish he…" I couldn't finish my statement. _I failed…my world is going to suffer while I die here…_ I rolled over until I was lying on the cushion.

_Michelle…you can't give up!_ Alida's voice shouted. I flinched a little at the sudden noise inside my head.

_Then can you tell me if I at least get out of here without becoming a member of the Donner Party? _My stomach ached and I mused over what toes would taste like.

_Speed's on his way. He had a detour, but he's fine, and you'll be fine. _A small flame of hope flickered in my heart. Speed was okay! _Thank you, Alida_. I heard a giggle fade from my mind and I knew she was gone.

OOOOOOOO

I wasn't sure how long it was since Alida told me Speed was on his way back, but it felt like forever before I heard a faint _Michelle?_ in my head.

_Speed!_ I could have cried out loud with joy to hear his voice. The truck running the warehouse sped past the cages to open the garage door.

"Welcome guest! How can I be of service?" he asked as friendly as he could.

"Hi…um…my friend might have ended up here on accident. She got scared and was chased. I've been looking at the other places and couldn't find her. Hopefully she's here…" Speed sounded worn out, and my heart went out to him. I prayed the truck would be helpful and not just send him away.

"Well, you might be in luck! Had a runaway that I picked up recently. Young woman. She kept saying something about a friend...crazy human. She's right over here." I heard the two Machines approaching, and I pushed against the door trying to see them. _Just act natural…_I repeated for the both of us.

_Where are you?_ he asked.

_I'm halfway down the row, on the bottom, against the wall._

_There are three walls, Michelle_…

I rolled my eyes and watched as the truck led Speed right up to me. I craned my neck to try to see him, and was rewarded with a tire stopping next to me. My reflection in Speed's hubcap was frightening, and I looked away quickly.

_I'm by your driver's side tire…_

"Here's the girl," the truck said, directing Speed's attention to another girl. She kinda looked like me, and I'm not sure when she arrived.

"No…that's not her…" Speed said sadly, rolling back until he could see me.

"Lynn!" He acted surprised. I reached out of the cage with a grin. The truck's human companion walked over and let me out of the cage. I crawled out of the cage and stood stiffly, using Speed's hood as a stabilizer. _You look great_ he said sarcastically. I shot back with a bitter laugh and reminded myself to not react physically.

"This one's on the house…since it seems like the two of you care for each other," the truck said.

"We're family. From day one, she never rejected me. Understandably, she was scared, just like I was, but we actually took the time to figure out the situation together. It's really not right that everyone is locked in a cage…" Speed said leaning into me. My knees shook and I felt a little dizzy. Speed helped me steady myself as I walked around to sit in the bed. _You okay?_ he asked. _I'll survive, just stiff…_

"I guess I did overreact a little when this all started…Lynn…was it? Do you think you could forgive me if I apologized?" I poked my head over Speed's side to look at the other truck staring back. _Chrystler, I feel bad now…_ the old truck thought.

"If not, I understand…"

"I can forgive you. Part of this is your job. Let everyone out to roam the building, even if for a little while. Maybe clean the place up a bit? I think you'll find most of these people are just as scared of the Change as you were and they'd be happy with a semi-normal life if you allowed them some of that freedom." The truck nodded and mumbled something to his assistant. The man fumbled with his keys for a second before running around all the cages and unlocking them. There were cheers echoing throughout the warehouse. Speed took the liberty to quietly slip out of the building.

OOOOOOOO

We pulled into the hotel room and I found out how tired I really was. I ended up sleeping the whole day and most of the night. When I woke up, Speed was still asleep and it was dark out. I carefully pulled out a can of what looked like mixed vegetables and pulled the tab to open the can. I had to remind myself not to guzzle down the food so as to not get sick. I was never a green bean fan, but they were the most delicious vegetables on the planet at that moment.

"Don't make a mess…" an amused Speed yawned.

"Did I wake you?" I asked, my mouth full.

"Hmmm? No, I'm finding it hard to sleep for very long. I wanna go home…" I shifted until my back was against the back of Speed's cab.

"Me too, hon…me too."

OOOOOOOO

I woke up later with the half eaten can of green beans still in my hand. Speed had fallen back asleep again as well. My neck was stiff from my sleeping position and it popped audibly as I stretched it. I gently climbed out of the bed and slipped into the bathroom to clean myself up. I avoided looking in the mirror as I passed it, knowing what I would see reflecting back.

Speed was awake by the time I finished cleaning up.

"Alida gave us a magic bag, I swear there weren't anymore clean clothes in here," I said, dragging the bag out. Speed chuckled lightly as I held up the empty backpack.

"Well, we certainly aren't in our world anymore."

"Which also means we need to get our act together and figure out what the heck we're gonna do." Speed frowned slightly. _What are we going to do?_

"I don't know. But I think it involves a certain warlock putting the fear of chaos into everyone here. Notice how easy it was for that truck to just accept what was going on?" A sudden thought popped into my head at that point.

"That could work…" Speed replied before I could voice it. He and I exchanged a look and a nod. _Let's get going._


	11. Chapter 11

"Okay, remember the plan?" I asked Speed, as we got ready to leave the room. I spent an hour wiping him down with a wet towel to make him someone presentable. We were going to see if everyone knew about magic, or how the whole magic thing worked in this world, and what –if anything- it had to do with how Machines treated humans. I already had a headache from thinking about it.

"I don't suffer from short term memory," he replied with a smirk, pulling me from my thoughts. I opened the door as Speed started his engine. As we were about to leave the room, a car sped past us with panic.

"Everyone hide…he's coming!" she screamed.

"Who's coming?" Speed asked, reflecting the panic of the car. She skidded to a halt and spun around.

"The warlock!" She kicked up loose gravel and sped around the building. My heart stopped for a moment. _Well I guess that takes care of that plan…_ I thought to Speed.

Before we could do anything, the powerful growl of an engine echoed from the front of the motel. In a split second, a familiar black Charger skidded to a halt in front of us. His eyes glowed a menacing blood red as he made eye contact with me. I tried to read his mind, but found myself trying to read a solid wall. His driver door opened and out stepped the man I saw at Alida's cottage. He was a tall man, probably around six and a half feet. His hair was snow white, like Alida's and he had a similar facial structure.

"Well, well…my two troublemakers," the man chuckled. "I found out about your little rescue mission, Simon…or should I say Speed? Don't worry, your little friends aren't suffering anymore." I sucked in a quick shot of air and heard a low rumble from Speed's direction. I noticed him inch forward a little. _Don't do it, he's bluffing!_

"Oh I'm bluffing am I?" _Shit…_

"Yeah, I can read minds. I can do all sorts of things…I mean, I am kinda the one in control of this world." I kept glaring at him. He chuckled again, a deep, chesty chuckle. I felt my heart pound against my chest, my hair stood on end. "How unfortunate you have to die twice. I told my daughter not to do it…not to pull you out of your world…but you know kids." He shrugged. _D-daughter?_ The car's passenger door opened, and Alida stepped out. She kept her head hung low her hair covered her face. She stepped over to be by the warlock…her father's side. Not once did she look up. I felt instantly betrayed.

"You…I knew there was something off about you…" I snarled, half surprised by how feral I sounded. She flinched. The warlock chuckled again.

"Well aren't you special? You have nothing to worry about with her now. She wanted to help the humans; I stripped her magic. Now…who should I kill first?" He pretended to be thoughtful for a moment as he walked in a small, agonizingly slow circle. It gave me time to inch my way in front of Speed. I pretended I was in a steel box with Speed. I felt his presence in my mind and knew he was on the same page. _When he comes after me…drive…don't look back…just keep going…_ My inner voice was shaky. _I'm not leaving you!_ he cried. I felt a tear escape.

When the warlock turned and faced us, a sarcastic smile split across his face.

"Oh how sweet, and yet utterly disgusting. Humans have no business being in this world. This world thrives on magic, and yet humans try explaining it off. They thought they were the superior beings on the planet since there were more of them. I created the Machines to put you disgusting mortals in your place. Anyway, I'm boring myself here; let's get rid of you." He took a step toward us.

"Why can't you just send us back to our own world?" I asked hoarsely, my voice trembling. I couldn't find the flaw in that logic.

"You know too much. There's a law regarding that…but I'm not going to go into details." He took another step. He was only a few feet away at this point. He pulled his hands in front of him, a look of concentration washed over his menacing grin. Alida stood with her head down next to the Charger. I let my gaze linger on the Charger before looking back at the warlock. I leaned against Speed's grill and closed my eyes. _Goodbye…_ was all I could muster up.

I wasn't sure what I would feel. Would I hurt? Would I not feel anything? My skin tingled and I could see a bright light through my eyelids. Suddenly, I lost consciousness.

OOOOOOOO

**Speed's POV**

Michelle's body fell limp in front of me. _Michelle!_ I called desperately. I didn't care anymore if they could read my mind. She was gone. I choked back a sob and nudged her, trying to wake her. _Please…don't leave me…_

"Alida, put the body in the back seat and I want you, Salem, to head back home. We'll catch up once we deal with this Blank." Alida lifted Michelle's body with surprising ease and dragged her to Salem's open door. After a little bit of struggle, Michelle was in the other Machine and he sped off. Alida, keeping her head down still, stood in the middle of the parking lot. I was still cornered in the hotel room. The warlock blocked my path, though I wasn't against running him over. He pulled what looked like a locket from his pocket. Michelle had a locket that she wore on rare occasions. I eyed it, curiosity taking over.

"This shouldn't hurt, but if it does, the pain will only be temporary." A brilliant light shimmered from his hands and then suddenly I was detached from my body. I couldn't scream, I couldn't feel anything; I couldn't hear anything…I was just there. Suddenly I was sucked into the locket and I was disconnected from the world.


	12. Chapter 12

Heaven was a plush bed in a clean room. I felt light and giddy, like I could float if the bed sheets didn't hold me down. I wasn't in pain, I wasn't hungry, and I wasn't grimy. Something seemed off though. I scanned the room, looking at the Victorian décor. My eyes stopped on the wall to my left. Heavy curtains covered two tall, skinny windows. I pulled myself from the soft covers and stepped over to the windows. I noticed a mirror on the wall opposite the bed.

Curious, I stepped up to it to see me staring back. I looked much healthier, and there was a glow about me, though I wasn't sure if that was from being dead or not. I didn't have a halo or wings, which took some of the fun of Heaven away from me. Was I supposed to know I was dead? I shook that thought and wandered over to the dark red curtains. I pulled one back and gasped.

I saw clouds; I saw the city in the distance. I was standing in a friend's home, on his ranch. I felt the presence of another person before I heard their breathing.

"I thought I was supposed to die…" The foreboding presence glided over to me, their footsteps barely making a sound on the hard wood floor. The warlock stood right behind me, his breath playing with flyaway hair as he looked down to me. He rested his chin against my head. The little hairs on my arms and neck stood on end.

"I changed my mind last minute. I was always taught never to waste potential. I figured since you have nothing left to live for, you can just be a _personal_ servant." His hands ran down my shoulder, making my skin crawl. I spun around and swung a hand to push him away. He grabbed my wrist and leaned in, his face just inches from mine. His black irises sparkled from the window. The corners of his eyes crinkled in a half smile, half snarl.

"I will do no such thing!" I spat. He leaned away and slapped me with his free hand. The sting was quick and the sound was loud. My right ear rang a little bit and the lingering tingle of blood rushing to my cheek stung. Before I could process any details, he threw me against the floor. I landed on my right side, facing the bed.

"You will serve me! I spoiled you by letting you sleep in the guest room, but I learned from that mistake. Get dressed quickly and report to me in the library!" I heard a soft thud and watched him walk away, muttering some obscenities. I stood on shaky legs to see a simple outfit laid out for me on the bed. I slipped out of the nightgown I was wearing and into the white polo blouse and floor length skirt. Next to the clothes was a pair of black tennis shoes and a pair of black socks. _Even I have better fashion sense than this_… I allowed myself to muse. The shoes were comfortable enough, as was the rest of the outfit, though I disliked the skirt. I sighed and decided to quit beating around the bush.

OOOOOOOO

I dunked the sponge into the bucket again and scrubbed viciously at a stain on the kitchen floor. _Great…I'm freakin' Cinderella…_ though I doubted a Prince Charming would come rescue me. I found out the warlock's name was Orion, and essentially I had to sign my name in blood to be his servant. I resisted, but magic won and I had to look hopelessly at my bandaged finger. Blood soaked through the padding and I could feel a small sting from the cleaner. I gritted my teeth and continued scrubbing the tile. My mind wandered dangerously to the events that happened.

My heart ached for Speed, and I choked back a sob. I hoped him being gone was a ruse too, but I couldn't reach him in my mind and I realized how empty my head seemed when we were given the skill. His loss ate at me, fueling my hate for the stain, the floor, the bucket, the sponge, the dirtying water. I hit an emotional peak and slammed the sponge onto the floor. I sat back and tucked my head under my arms. I fought the urge to scream, which turned that bubbling energy into a fit of sobs.

I wasn't sure how long I sat on the floor of the kitchen and sobbed. It was likely only a few minutes though as when I did manage to look up, Alida was standing quietly next to the soaking stain. She wore the same dress I saw her in when we first met. Her hair was limp around her gaunt, pale face. She smiled sadly at me. I could only return a glare.

"I deserve that," she stated calmly, miserably. I sniffed, fighting back another wave of tears. I moved back into position and continued scrubbing at the stain. I was almost done with it. Alida stood quietly next to me, and while I knew she wasn't magical anymore, I blocked the thankful thought I had that I wasn't totally alone.

OOOOOOOO

My muscles ached from the endless cleaning I had to do. The entire mansion was a wreck and I still had more cleaning to do the next day. I hobbled over to the library to see Orion sitting at his desk. The desk was a simple mahogany desk. There weren't any fancy decorations carved into it, and it pretty much looked like something from IKEA.

"Ah, Michelle, how wonderful of you to drop in in time for me to show you where you will be sleeping. Since your little stunt this morning, I picked an especially special place for you!" Orion's tone was forcefully friendly. I flashed a non-deserving smile at him before returning to a scowl that I adopted throughout the day. He sauntered past me and down the hall. I followed, though I kept my head low and just followed his feet. I was already tired of looking at the aged décor and I just wanted something new to look at.

He stopped at a simple brown door. It was recessed into the wall, hiding from the rest of the main hall. He opened it and stepped in without turning on a light. I could see small rectangular windows lining the back wall and knew we were in a garage. The evening was skyless again as this world proved to be nothing more than cloudy.

"Where's that blasted light switch?" Orion asked himself. I inwardly gagged at his smug formalism. I heard a click and a second later a row of fluorescent lights popped on. I blinked a few times and found myself staring directly at the Charger. He stared back, and I noticed his eyes were more of a brown, and not the glowing blood-red from before. I looked up to ask why Orion brought me to the garage, but then I saw a white truck parked at the other end of the room. I strained to look away, but I felt something tingling hold my head in place.

My throat tightened as I fought the whirlwind of emotions building up in my chest. _That's not him…that's not him…_ I kept repeating, forcing the lie until I believed it. I had to be indifferent; this was Orion's bait now and I didn't want him to see how much it affected me.

"I'll let you get settled, there's a cot just on the other side of the Blank. Get plenty of sleep, you're going to need it." Orion chuckled and left me alone in the garage. As soon as the door clicked home I found myself on my knees between the two vehicles. My shoulders shook from the dry heaving and tears. I felt dizzy and I leaned against the truck's bumper. _Speed's bumper._ I corrected myself.

OOOOOOOO

I woke the next morning curled up against the tire. Salem quietly watched me, and I felt exposed.

"Did I wake you?" I asked, my voice cracking. He chuckled humorlessly.

"Why are you talking to me?" his deep voice rumbled. I flinched and pressed against the truck again. The dim light of the windows illuminated the surprisingly battle scarred Charger. He had dents and scratches littering his body, and his paint was chipping at the edges. His coat wasn't as shiny as it was before, and part of me wondered how much magic Orion used to make Salem look intimidating.

As if on cue, Orion opened the door and strutted in. He smacked the garage door button and hummed to himself.

"I'm giving you a day off, I know…so soon…but I have important matters to tend to in the city. Seems you and your Blank have made a scene with the locals. We'll be back soon though, and I might just reward you with some chores." With a wordless nod, Salem started his engine and they drove off.


	13. Chapter 13

Days dragged on. Orion and Salem would disappear for hours on end while I cleaned the entire mansion, over and over. Alida left me alone for the most part, and I rarely saw her because of it. I started losing any ounce of hope that I would return home and that none of this happened. I was beyond homesick.

One morning changed this whole feeling around however when I found myself with nothing to do. I lied on my cot, counting spots in each ceiling tile when Orion and Salem returned from their most recent errand. Orion kept grumbling something and I heard the door leading to the mansion slam. I remained still, listening only to Salem's shallow breathing. I knew he hated me, but I still felt like I needed to do something. I stood up and walked around Speed's body to find Salem panting and shivering.

"What happened?" I asked with more concern than I thought I felt. He opened his eyes only slightly. I noticed bullet holes running down his side, and he was covered in mud.

"I'll…heal…" he breathed. Sure enough, some of the bullet holes were disappearing. I shook my head and ran for a bucket and some rags. I came back a few minutes later with my supplies and got to work.

"What…" Salem mumbled.

"You may heal, but you won't be able to clean yourself up." I scrubbed at the mud, being careful around the holes. Salem remained quiet as I worked, and for once I didn't feel like he would run me over in my sleep. It felt nice to actually be working with a Machine, and it eased the pain of losing Speed…though I knew that would never go away.

"Why?" he asked, sounding a little less weak.

"Someone's gotta take care of you," I simply replied. He didn't say anymore as I continued to clean him up. By the time all of the bullet holes had disappeared, I was done washing him off.

"So does Orion do the healing spell, or are you magical?" I asked, trying to have some conversation.

"No to both. I'm not really magical…I can only heal myself…good thing too. Orion puts me through more situations that a Machine like me wouldn't be able to survive." The tone of his voice indicated he was done talking to me so I walked away to put the cleaning stuff back where I found it.

OOOOOOOO

Orion called me in shortly after I put the cleaning stuff away and I ended up with a list of chores to do. By the time I had finished them, I was exhausted and it was late into the evening. I slipped into the garage as quietly as I could and snuck over to my cot. Salem was asleep as I entered and he didn't wake as I lied down.

"Michelle?" I heard him whisper which startled me a little.

"Yeah?"

"Thank you…"

"You're welcome," I replied as I fell asleep.

OOOOOOOO

The days continued like that. I constantly felt bad about how Orion treated everyone, especially Salem. I found myself cleaning him off after their trips. We never said anything, but I could tell he appreciated the care.

"What is it like in your world?" he asked one time. I was shocked by the sudden curiosity.

"Well…um…It's a year and a half after the Change. Nothing is burnt to a crisp. Humans and Machines get along fine for the most part. I mean, there are still spats on occasion, but they right themselves. Why do you ask?"

"Sounds nice." I hummed an agreement and finished cleaning him up.

OOOOOOOO

"Speed's still alive," Salem whispered suddenly as I lied down for the night. I had moved my cot to between the two Machines in the hopes that the newfound company would warm up to me even more. I sat up and stared at his dark form.

"What?" I squeaked back.

"Orion has a locket around his neck that has Speed inside. He…he was going to destroy it but I convinced him otherwise." I wasn't sure how to react to all of this news.

"Why are you telling me this?" I asked, tears falling down my cheeks.

"Because I've put up with Orion's abuse long enough. He turned me into a Machine, stripped most of my powers away from me, and he's caused nothing but trouble since he decided to enact this little plan of his."

"Wait…you were…human?" He shifted uneasily like he had just said too much, but I heard him sigh and take a breath before he spoke.

"I'm Orion's brother."


	14. Chapter 14

"W…what?" I felt more confused than ever.

"When Orion enacted this heinous plan to attack the human race using Machines, I was against it every step of the way. I didn't mind having the Machines come to life, but to make them torture and attack innocents? I couldn't live with that. I fought him and one day…this happened." His silhouette shifted again. "He stripped me of my powers, leaving me only enough to sustain myself in this form. He drove Alida away when that happened, and she fled. I had to assist him in the destruction of so much…" I could hear him choking on his words and I watched my arm reach up to rest a hand on his side.

"Shhh," I cooed. "If you have to look on the positive, at least you aren't a jalopy. I wonder if we can somehow convince your brother to put Speed back and turn you back."

"Do you think I didn't try? I've been stuck in this form for three crappy years!" I could hear the despair in his voice. "I'm a lost cause…"

"Don't say that! You haven't met me yet…I'll fix this for you."

"There's only one way you can do that…"

"And that is?" I asked, afraid I knew the answer already.

"Kill him."

OOOOOOOO

Those two words bothered me for the rest of the night and late into the next day. I didn't want to kill anyone, even if I wished ill for him or her. Orion and Salem took off again, leaving me alone in the mansion.

My only chore for the day was to dust and organize the library. I never really took a good look at the massive room until now. The bookshelves reached the ceiling, which must have been ten feet tall. The circular room had the plain desk smack in the center and behind the desk was a window seat. The window seat overlooked my friend's farm…though it was an overgrown orchard now. I hoped my friend was still alive and was okay…though I feel like he may not have existed in this world if Orion has lived here.

OOOOOOOO

I was halfway through dusting and organizing the old books when the door to the library opened. Alida stepped in quietly to observe as she normally did.

"I know you can still talk," I said curtly. After learning about Salem, I couldn't dislike Alida anymore…not that I disliked her prior, I was just mad at her.

"Oh…um…how are you doing?" she asked awkwardly.

"Well…not bad considering I found out your father turned your uncle into a Machine and that Speed's soul is essentially being held hostage in a necklace your father is wearing…" I said turning from the book I was dusting to death. Alida had her hand up to her face and her eyes were wide.

"I was going to tell you about Speed! I swear! I just didn't know if you were wanting to talk to me!"

"I probably wouldn't, but the peace of mind knowing he was still alive…sort of…would have sufficed!"

"Then I guess I should tell you that he's not wearing it anymore…" she said shyly. I put down the book and the duster and looked at her in shock.

"Wh…what do you mean? Where is it?" She reached for a small chain that rested around her neck. As she pulled up the little locket, I had to hold myself back from attacking her for it. He was right there…hopefully.

"He gave it to me…I didn't realize this was the locket that had Speed in it until you mentioned it just now…" She extended her arm and let the little silver heart dangle from its chain. I took a couple of tentative steps toward her, not sure if she was being serious about this or not. After she took a half step of her own, I covered the remaining ten feet in just a few strides and gently took the necklace from her. _Speed?_ I tried. No dice. I sighed and held the locket tightly against my chest.

"He knows about this…" I said flatly, realizing that this would have been part of his master plan.

"No…he told me never to give it to you." I shook my head.

"Knowing you would do the opposite. This is part of his bait. I…I can't take it...Speed's life is already on the line, and if I take this, it's just another thing your father can use against me." I handed the locket back to her…hating to let go of it. "Take it, and we'll go back to before we had this exchange." I bit back a wave of tears. I was so close to Speed, and yet, I had to give him up…if only for hopefully a little while longer. Alida took the locket back and put it around her neck.

"I'm sorry…I wish we could just put Speed back in his body and you two can just go…but that won't happen unless we strip my father of his powers and give them to someone else." We were quiet for a few moments, thinking about ways to break this situation. I went back to dusting, allowing the mundaneness of it to help me think. Alida found a rag and picked a shelf next to me. A sudden idea popped into my head.

"I know someone who would probably like to have his powers back," I said before I realized I was talking out loud.

"Uncle Salem?" I nodded in response.

OOOOOOOO

Working in the library wore me out. I was half asleep on the cot when Salem and Orion arrived from whatever they did. I moved the cot back to the wall; afraid of giving Orion any more ways to attack me or the lives I cared about. I winced at the slamming of doors. Orion was talking to a woman, who giggled at his mumbled words.

"He's gone," Salem stated wearily.

"How'd you know?" I asked as I walked around Speed's body. Salem looked up with a tired smile.

"You gasped at the doors slamming." I chuckled a little before grabbing the cot and moving it back to my new spot.

"I've got a plan," I said as I sat cross-legged on the small bed.

"Oh?"

"Somehow we need to strip Orion of his powers and have them go to you. You can change back to being a warlock, and Orion would be a human…or a Machine… Alida would get her powers back, and Speed could be put back in his body… You don't seem very enthusiastic about this…" I noted as I noticed him sigh and look away.

"We would need someone magical to perform something so big."

"Isn't there a potion…or something…that could be made that we trick him into drinking?"

"Well…there is one thing…" Salem's grin was feral, and I knew I had him on my side.


	15. Chapter 15

I couldn't believe someone would be stupid enough to have a potion that strips powers just lying around in their home. I thought it was too easy to nab the vial of pink liquid. I hid the vial in my bed until Salem and Orion arrived the next evening. Orion didn't say anything to me and just kept walking into the mansion. Salem watched the door for a solid minute before looking back at me expectantly. I nodded with a small, excited smile.

"What now?" I asked.

"There is one warlock that Orion hasn't messed with, and likely won't. It's a hefty price though."

"I'm willing to pay. Does he take cash?" Salem looked away and grimaced.

"Let's just say she's not into money…"

OOOOOOOO

Salem slowed as we approached an old mansion. It was dark by the time we arrived. He convinced Orion that I needed to get out and that he would keep an eye on me. Orion just waved us off like it was no big deal.

"Just let me do the talking, you're probably gonna be an emotional wreck if you start talking," Salem said quietly. I simply nodded in response. We eased our way up to the door, and before I knocked, it opened. I felt my skin tingle as a Ma'am stepped onto the porch.

"Hello, Michelle," she said slowly and carefully. I gritted my teeth and kept quiet despite my growing urge to tackle her. There was a hint of a smirk in her eyes, but also something distant.

"Annie, we need your help," Salem said. I jumped slightly at his voice as he rolled up right behind me. Ma'am…Annie…looked past me and at Salem. Her face fell in sadness.

"Orion did this to you?" she asked.

"Yes, shortly after the Change. We have a way to change me back, but we need your help." He gave me an encouraging look and I pulled the little bottle out of my pocket. Annie took a step back as she realized what the potion was. I wasn't sure how, but she knew. I tried reading her mind, but she had it blocked.

"How did you get that?" she asked him, grabbing it from my hand. I wanted to take it back, afraid she would not help us.

"We have our ways. Now, we need his powers to come back to me and Alida, and I need to change back… Will you help us?" Annie held up the potion and just stared at it for a moment. Her eyes jumped to me quickly, but if I had blinked, I would have missed it. A toothy grin spread across her face.

"It's gonna cost you. There's something else that you're not telling me." I had my mind blocked…how did she know?

"We only need what I mentioned to you," Salem was calm and he kept his voice even.

"Where's Speed? You know I require a price." My heart sank and I could feel my last meal rising. I bit back another wave of anger.

"His soul is inside a locket that Orion has. His physical being is just a Blank in the garage. I can take care of that part. What is your price?" Salem asked.

"Well…I don't know how much helping I'm willing to do. You see, Michelle and I have a little bit of a history."

"You're lucky I let you live," I said through bared teeth. I felt a thump on my leg from Salem's tire. I turned back to give him a look to see him glare back. _What did I say about talking?_ his voice growled in my head. Annie chuckled.

"I knew you would harbor those emotions. Trust me…or don't…I'm not out to kill my creations in this world. You see, m'dear, even though many peoples' traits are the same, no matter the world, we all have different destinies. It helps having magic to see that. I'm a protector in this world. I try to keep the Machines protected against the likes of Orion. While this world's you wasn't supposed to die, you and your Machine are supposed to bring peace between humans and Machines." She paused to let me soak in what she said. The smirk in her eyes was replaced by sadness.

"What's your price?" Salem asked again, sounding a little impatient.

"Well…even though you were under Orion's control, after you perform your duties, the laws require your powers to be stripped. You'll have them long enough to save Speed, as a spell like what Orion casted can only be broken with blood magic. I'm sorry. I would do it for free, but I too would lose my powers." I felt my heart stop for a horrific second. Salem had his eyes closed and he lowered his front end like he was bowing his head.

"Even if he's helping save the lives of every Machine?" I asked, I didn't realize how much my voice cracked. I expected another thump on my leg, but it didn't come. Annie nodded.

"I'm not the overseer of warlocks. I'm sorry, but those would be the terms I am obliged to." I was torn. I looked over at the black Charger, as he seemed to be thinking things over.

"I'll accept the terms. Alida will not be affected though, right? She'll get her powers back and be okay?" he asked Annie.

"I don't see why she would be in trouble with the overseers. While she should be punished for bringing in Otherworlders, Orion stripping her powers has been punishment enough. She'll get her powers back, and Speed will go back to his body. I do warn you…this will not be easy. Speed will not be himself for a long time, and he may be extremely weak. Keeping souls locked up is a fate far worse than death. The plan will be ready to enact tonight. Orion is staying in, correct?"

"Yes. Thank you, Annie. C'mon, Michelle, we need to head back to the mansion before Orion starts to wonder where we went." He offered his door and I sank into the passenger seat. I was stunned, and the world around me blurred as we pulled away from Annie's homestead. My mind ran a million miles an hour, processing all that just happened.

"There's gotta be another way…" I muttered. I heard Salem sigh.

"I've lived this long without my powers, being a human won't be so bad. Annie's right, you and Speed have a job to do."

"What did she mean by 'Speed will not be himself for a long time'?" Salem suddenly pulled over. I heard a muffled 'sorry' as I was thrown around the seat. I looked around and noticed we were almost to the mansion.

"When a soul gets locked up, it…how do I explain this…it goes through a cycle where it basically relives its life in fast forward over and over again. The younger the soul, the more cycles it goes through. Older souls that are captured and released tend to recover a little quicker than younger ones. They can't rest so if they are ever released, they are usually unable to do much. That's when they die."

"But…without Speed being…Speed…how are we supposed to convince the world to stop what they're doing and coexist with humans so he and I can go back to our world? Better yet, what's going on in our world? We've been here for at least a month it seems…" Panic rose in my chest as I realized how desperate the situation really was.

"Easy there. I might stay as this form since I won't have magic. I can be your replacement. Let's just see how Speed does first."

OOOOOOOO

I paced the garage as we waited for Annie to make her appearance. Just as I made my ninety-third lap I heard a crash coming from inside the mansion. Salem and I both jumped at the sound. Orion shouted something and then there was another crash. Suddenly a scream pierced the air and all went silent. I exchanged a glance with Salem just as we heard the door's handles rattle. Annie stepped into view, but not without a slight limp. Alida was right behind her; a blue aura wrapped around her small frame. The locket hung around her neck just like I last saw it.

Annie stopped in front of Salem and held her hands in front of her. She mumbled something and the room became saturated with a white light. Where Salem was once parked stood a rather handsome man with short chestnut hair and a full suit ensemble. He stretched some and smiled. He held out a hand and willed a light purple orb to appear.

"Don't get too excited. That won't last once you free Speed's soul," reminded Annie. Salem shook his hand and the orb disappeared.

"Alida, I need the locket please," he said. Alida slipped the necklace off and carefully handed it to Salem. He walked to the front of Speed's body and whispered something into the locket. I held my breath as he opened the silver and blue heart. A brilliant silvery orb floated out of the necklace and dove into Speed's hood. His body began glowing in the same silver as the orb. I had to look away as the glow intensified.


	16. Chapter 16

The air inside the garage froze and there was a rushing sound before things settled and the light went back to normal. _We're going to leave you and him alone together. You should be the only one here as he wakes up,_ Salem's voice echoed in my mind as the three warlocks left the garage. I looked back at Speed.

He was alive, but barely. His body rested against the cement and I could hear the scratching of metal on concrete as he trembled. He whimpered weakly and his breath was ragged and shallow. _Speed? Hon? _ He gasped and his eyes opened a little. I could see him looking around for me frantically. When he saw me, his eyes closed again. _Cold…_ he replied back weakly. I almost missed it. His body was like ice as I rested a hand on his hood. He flinched from my touch, and I took a step back somewhat hurt. _Salem, we need a space heater in here…or something_.

Within a few minutes there was a knock at the door. Speed jumped and his eyes opened in terror. He tried to get up and only managed to fall back onto the concrete. I inwardly winced at the sound. Salem silently walked in with a portable heater. He set it up in front of Speed to the highest setting it could get.

"It's okay, Hon. He's bringing something to warm you up," I said quietly. I felt the warmth of the heater right away and hoped that it would help Speed. He wasn't shivering as bad after a minute. _You…left…me…_ he whispered in my head. I had images flash of before Speed's soul was taken. My body falling to the ground and there was a bright light.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know what was going to happen, I was trying to give you a chance to run…" _By possibly…killing…yourself?_ He was so angry…I bit back a wave of tears. _I…had to relive…my life…more times than I cared to count._ His internal voice was much stronger as his anger grew. _All of those painful memories…_

"And I thought you were dead! For two days I thought you had taken off, that you actually ran… Then that…Orion…he showed me your body just parked in here like no big deal. I thought you had died. I almost gave up, Speed!" He had opened his eyes about halfway through my shouting. "I almost gave up…" I cried and slouched onto the cement next to him. _I'm sorry…_ I couldn't verbalize it, but I had hoped he didn't block me so he could hear me repeat those two words like a broken record.

We were both quiet for a moment. He wasn't shivering anymore as the heater whirred on and his breathing had improved. I had stopped my crying and looked up to notice that he had fallen asleep. I reached up to rest my hand against his side and thought better. I didn't want to scare him. No one had come in, and part of me wondered what was going on in the mansion. I quietly snuck over to the door.

"Don't leave," Speed mumbled just as I reached for the handle. I turned back to his half open eyes looking over at me. I tiptoed back to the cot. As I sat down, he closed his eyes. _I'm sorry…_ he whispered in my head. He shook and I heard a silent hiccup of a cry. I stood and leaned into his side. He shook again as he attempted to get up.

"No, you need sleep," I lightly scolded. I looked over at the dark windows, and I suddenly felt tired.

"So do I. I'll be back, I just need to talk to someone." _I'm here if you need me._ Speed watched me walk into the mansion.

OOOOOOOO

"How is he?" Alida asked just as I closed the door. Her sudden presence startled me. I took a deep breath to slow my racing heart. Alida made an "I'm sorry" face.

"He's um…I'm not sure. He was angry, now he's lonely, he's weak…"

"He's doing really well then," Annie stated walking up. I cocked an eyebrow.

"Usually young souls that have been released would have already tried driving off or have had a panic attack. That's usually what kills them. As long as you keep him quiet, he'll pull through." I wanted to cry in relief.

"What happened to Orion?"

"That doesn't matter," Annie said quickly. "I need to talk to you…clear some things up that have probably confused you. In order for you and Speed to fulfill your quest, you need to understand this world." She started walking so I followed her.

The library must have been where Orion met his demise. Shelves were collapsed and books littered the floor. The cheap desk was broken down the middle. I didn't want to think about what happened in here. Annie walked over to the window seat and placed herself on the left side. She began talking as I took a spot on the other end of the window.

"This world's timeline pretty much is the same as yours. The only difference is magic is a thing here. The big problem with that is it wasn't a widely known thing…which Orion resented. Orion and I were together and we had schemed to turn vehicles into Machines, but to keep it a peaceful Change. It was mainly a ploy to say, "magic exists". Then, the first self-driving vehicles were coming out and Orion hated it even more because people were turning more and more to science. He enacted the plan, and then turned Machines on humans.

"Within six months, whole cities were devastated and the human population fell from seven billion to probably one hundred million. Orion locked the spell so I couldn't turn anything back. I went to the overseers and I was told of a young woman and her Machine were not like the others, and that they would be able to change this world's fate. Orion found out…and you know the rest. Speed will recover, and you two will be able to go home. We need you here though." A tear danced down her cheek.

"But Speed will be okay?"

"Give him a few days to rest and heal. We'll arrange your flight to D.C." The corners of her mouth lifted and she left me alone.


	17. Chapter 17

_Michelle, I'd rather drive across the country than fly. Are you sure we'll be okay? _Speed whispered nervously in my mind as we approached the boarding ramp to the plane. He recovered within a few days, though he still didn't get much sleep due to nightmares. While we would have gone cross-country on the ground, Speed was still building stamina.

I handed the boarding passes over to the car at the counter. She scanned them and moved on to the two cars behind us. I wasn't sure what to expect when we got onto the plane. Everything was outfitted differently. There was a single seat on either side of the plane and a parking spot of sorts next to each seat. Eventually we were in our spot. I sat in a seat next to the window and Speed parked next to me. He shook nervously. _Calm down, I've done this more times than I care to count. We'll be fine._

OOOOOOOO

The flight was uneventful. I ended up falling asleep at one point and only woke when the captain announced we were landing. I could sense Speed's growing anxiety as we descended. _Don't make a scene_. I told him. _I'm a truck…I'm not meant to fly! _I simply rolled my eyes in response, hoping no one would notice the silent exchange. To the other Machines, I was simply a pet…a carry-on. I was supposed to remain quiet and Speed's "pet" until we meet the president. Annie's orders.

We spent the day before just going over some of the common things Machines do with their pets. I had to ride in Speed's bed again. I was thankful it wasn't cold.

OOOOOOOO

The city was untouched by the Change, though it seems a lot of the buildings were being renovated still to accommodate vehicles. The white house was straight ahead, and I could feel my stomach tying up. Annie said that the appointment was made. I only prayed that she stayed true to her word.

OOOOOOOO

I traveled to tons of places in the country for films, and I've even gone abroad, but I had never been to the capitol. It was massive, and the roads were crowded with Machines going this way and that. I felt claustrophobic, and I wasn't the one driving. _Hey Speed…_ I asked wryly. _Are we there yet?_

As if to answer my question, he rolled to a stop in front of the white house entrance. A human guard stepped out of his booth and walked right up to Speed. I felt the nervous energy build and I could only mentally soothe him.

"I have an appointment with the president. Simon Ford and my friend, Lynn." The officer poked his head over Speed's side. I waved and smiled lightly. He nodded curtly and checked something on his clipboard.

"Follow the officer, he'll take you to the security screening place." Speed did so and as he stopped at a large white tent, I was asked to step out of the bed to be frisked. My legs had fallen asleep at some point on the drive from the airport, and it took me a second to steady myself. The human officer helped me. _Poor girl_, I heard him say.

"Thank you, sir. It's a shame I have to pretend I'm a pet just to get anywhere, truck beds get uncomfortable after a while." I gave a chuckle for effect. He looked at me oddly.

"You…you're not a pet?"

"Nope! Simon was my truck before the Change, and when he…well…Changed; he figured no one needed to hurt anyone. We worked together on my small farm until someone decided that it wasn't conforming to society's new rules." I let my emotions take over so the story would be more captivating. "We…we lost everything. We've been on the road for so long now, and decided enough is enough." The officer finished screening me, and Speed was cleared as well.

OOOOOOOO

I didn't expect the Oval Office, but we were in a replica room big enough for Machines. Speed and I were directed to a line taped about six feet from the desk. The Machine president pulled up behind a desk, which was kind of a funny sight to me. My knees shook, and I couldn't be close enough to Speed to rest a hand on his side for comfort and stability.

"Hello…" I began.

"Quiet, human! Mr. Ford, was it? What can I do for you?" the car asked. I watched Speed out of the corner of my eye and listened to his internal voice trying to calm him down.

"Well…this is my friend, Lynn. She's not my pet. For quite a while we've helped each other survive since the events of the Changing." The Machine president considered Speed's words for a second.

"So why are you here?" he asked, sounding bored. Speed and I exchanged a quick glance. _Well he's exciting to talk to…_ I thought.

"I don't like how other Machines are treating the humans. They built us and most of them took care of us before we Changed. Fear caused this…whatever it is you want to call it. Please, Mr. President…for this world to survive…we need to coexist," Speed insisted. I heard a chorus of mental snickers as I looked around the room to the security cars. My attention shot back to the president as he made a throat clearing noise.

"Do you have anything to say, human? Are you going to defend your poor, defenseless race so the roles would be switched and we would be your slaves?" I was stunned silent. He hummed in an unimpressed way and began to back away from his desk.

"Wait!" I said, startling everyone in the room.

"Go on…" the president said with a roll of his eyes.

"I know…I know you hate the human race. I know of a lot of people who abused their vehicles prior to the Change, and I understand where the dislike could come from. Let me ask you this though, when you first Changed, what were your thoughts? Did you think that you were in a scary place, or in a nice place? Did you think, 'I'm not gonna be able to start my engine', or did you think that you were going to be comfortable?

Now, I know I can speak for both Simon and myself that it took a few days to get used to each other. He was scared, and I gave him every opportunity to take off to the nearest city; he stayed because he knew he would be safe."

"I don't need to hear anymore of this!" the president exclaimed. He backed quickly and started to drive around to the door behind us. I jumped in front of him. _Michelle!_ Speed called. The sedan stopped quickly, looking astonished.

"Please. For the greater good of everyone in this country, on this _planet_, something needs to change!" I was almost about to get on my knees and beg. He stared at me; I could hear his thought process failing to make a decision. He shook his hood as if coming out of a trance.

"Fine," he spat. "But if it doesn't work, Simon, your pet will have to be put down…just like the rest of those crazy humans!"

OOOOOOOOO

"You didn't tell me that I could potentially lose my life? Was this part of your big scheme to get rid of every copy of me from every world?" I shouted into the hotel phone.

"Michelle…you're gonna have people check in on us…" Speed whispered nervously.

"Trust me, Michelle…you aren't going to die. It'll work out. Alida and Salem have already been doing damage control here, so you've got the west coast spreading the news. It'll all work out. Just get some rest or you'll look horrible for the cameras," Annie's voice said. I grumbled and hung up without another word.

"She better not be toying with us," I said with frustration. An old couch served as my bed and with a little bit of adjusting it wasn't too uncomfortable for me to try to get some sleep. I plopped down onto the creaky springs and listened to Speed roll up and rest next to me. _Good night, _he said softly in my head. _'night hon._


	18. Chapter 18

There were so many Machines. I thought I was nervous giving a speech in front of the town…but this…this was the whole country! A chair was provided for me behind the stage, which I was grateful for. My right leg bounced with nerves and I kept staring at the notecard I scribbled on, as I got ready for the morning. Speed parked next to me and just watched my bouncing leg. _Are you going to be okay?_ he asked. I shook my head. _I'll live, but this is gonna haunt me for a while._ We listened to the president give a speech about being open minded about what would be a new outlook for everyone. I took a deep shaky breath.

"Mr. Ford…_pet_…we're ready for you," a security SUV said as he pulled up. I stood and waited for Speed to take the lead. There was a slight din of voices from the audience, but they quieted as Speed appeared on the stage. He gave his speech, similar to what I said to the humans in our world.

Then he invited me out to speak. He pulled back from the microphone and gave me an encouraging smile. I swallowed back some bile and walked on stage. The air was so tense I could taste it. I looked at the sea of faces, both human and Machine. There were cameras everywhere. Half of them were on me, and half on Speed.

"L…ladies and gentlemen… My…my name is Lynn. Simon and I are more than friends, we're family. Like he said, we wouldn't be able to survive without each other. He protected me when a building we were hiding in collapsed and I stood in front of machine guns to protect him. I know things were chaotic a while ago, but to all of you- Machine or human- we couldn't have survived this long if we didn't need each other. I know there are humans out there who took great care of their vehicles before you Changed. Let's work together to survive…thank you." I forgot half of my speech…but I could tell the audience was less than captivated. I took a step back and felt Speed nudging me reassuring me. I looked back and smiled tiredly and leaned into him.

The president drove back to the stage, a look of disapproval plastered on his face. My skin crawled.

"Well…erm…thank you for wasting our time," he said. A wave of laughter erupted. I felt my cheeks warm from both anger and embarrassment. We were escorted off the stage where I was met with specially modified machine guns.

"No!" Speed shouted, quickly spinning himself around me.

"Stand aside, sir," one of the officers stated. I tried sending soothing thoughts to Speed, but something seemed off all of the sudden. Either he was ignoring me or he couldn't hear me. Time seemed to slow to a stop.

The earth shuddered and buckled underneath us and we were greeted with a bright light.

OOOOOOOO

I hit the ground with a thud and knew I bruised something. The gravel scraped at my exposed skin and I had a rock sneak into my shoe. I groaned as I sat up and looked for Speed. He was parked next to me, in front of the flatbed trailer, looking just as dazed.

"That earthquake was a doozy! Is everyone okay?" I heard my radio chatter. Was that just what happened?

"I'm okay, I slipped on some gravel, but Speed and I are fine," I replied. "How are all the buildings?"

"Everything seems okay. We're letting horses out right now and searching the pipes and wiring. Thankfully it was only a four something!" I heard Kevin reply.

"Michelle…why do I feel like there was more than an earthquake?" Speed asked, turning to help me up. I shook my head.

"I feel like we weren't here for a while and yet, we're right where we were before the earthquake." I followed Speed's eyes to my arm. I looked down at the small red river. I could have sworn I heard him ask if I was okay, but it was like listening through a tunnel and I shook the thought out of my mind.

"I'll live," I replied.

OOOOOOOO

Things calmed down a couple of days after the earthquake. I still couldn't shake the feeling like something weird happened and I know Speed felt something too. I rubbed my temples as I sat at my desk. My untouched lunch taunted me at the end of my desk, but I was feeling somewhat sick from the headache.

"Hey, 'chelle, do you know an Alida Simmons?" Zoe asked, walking into my office. She handed me a small letter addressed to me. The name struck a note, but I couldn't figure out why. It wasn't the normal letters I usually get regarding horses.

"I wanna say I do, but I can't remember." I opened the letter, not knowing what to expect. A picture was inside of a black Charger and a teenage girl with bleach blonde hair smiling at the camera.

_Michelle and Speed,_

_ You will more than likely not remember me, or Salem, or Orion…or what you've been through. If all went well, you went back to your timeline just after an earthquake hit. I won't try to explain everything in this letter…there is far too much for you to comprehend, and I'm sure I'm breaking rules having your world's me write you a letter. _

_Anyway, you might be feeling strange…that's normal. It's because you basically time traveled and crossed world borders. When you were here, you unlocked an ability to talk to Speed with your minds, but be warned, it'll cause you a major headache for a while. No, you can't do that in your world, but it will take a while to wear off…hence the headache._

_I'm running out of paper, and I am also saying too much. _

_ Well wishes,_

_ Alida_

_P.S. You and Speed saved my world. Thank you!_

I set the letter down and looked back at the picture. I wracked my brain trying to remember what apparently happened.

"Is everything okay?" Zoe asked, still standing at the door.

"What were Speed and I doing a few days ago? The day of the earthquake?" She looked at me a little odd.

"You guys spent the morning getting hay into the hay barn. I think you were finished by the time the earthquake hit. Speed said you slipped; did you hit your head? Do we need to take you to a hospital?" she asked, concerned. I shook my head.

"No…I just feel like something weird happened during the earthquake. I must have hit my head. I'm gonna call it for today. I know I don't have anything scheduled, but if something comes up, talk to Kelly." I locked my office up and managed to make it back to the house before the headache I now knew the cause of turned into a migraine.

I poked my head into the garage and smiled slightly as Speed slept soundly. _At least he is getting sleep_. I thought. I tried the telepathy thing, but my brain punished me with a sharp needle of pain. I turned around to the kitchen and grabbed a pain pill and lay down on the couch with Ruger curled up with me.

~**End**


End file.
